6 Ways to Make Japanese Food Spicier

Japanese cuisine is not renowned for being spicy. Most dishes are mild and rely on the flavours of the fresh ingredients and accompaniments like soy sauce for the incredible tastes each dish offers. While many other Asian cuisines will commonly pack a lot of heat into their food, particularly in Thai cuisine, many Japanese people do not like, or cannot tolerate spicy foods. However, that is not to say that spicy Japanese foods do not exist, or that you cannot add a little heat to a Japanese dish. If you are a fan of hot food and want to spice up your Japanese dishes, our guide to making your food fiery should help.

Wasabi

Despite spice being fairly rare in Japanese dishes, one common ingredient that adds a bit of heat is wasabi. Wasabi is a root that comes from the mustard family and is a bit like horseradish. A little dab of wasabi is commonly added to sushi for extra flavour. Wasabi is strong enough to clear the sinuses, but the spicy effects are typically short-lived in comparison to other spices.

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Real Wasabi vs Radish

There is actually a difference between real wasabi and the ‘wasabi’ that is often served with sushi and other Japanese dishes in restaurants. Often the wasabi you will be given is actually just an imitation version made of radish. Real wasabi comes from the Japanese wasabi root.

Yuzu Kosho

The peel of yuzu fruits is ground together with chilli peppers and salt to create this condiment. It adds a tangy, spicy and salty flavour to foods, and is popular alongside fish and steak.

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Shichimi Togarashi

Shichimi Togarashi is a spice blend that is also known as ‘seven spice pepper’. There are a few variations when it comes to ingredients, but typically, it will include red chilli pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, ground ginger, dried orange peel, nori seaweed, and black and white sesame seeds.

Shichimi Togarashi can be used to flavour rice crackers and snacks, as well as to sprinkle over rice, noodles and soup.

Sansho Pepper

Sansho pepper is a green peppercorn that offers a sharp flavour that adds a hint of spice to food. This pepper is even stronger than Sichuan peppers, and can cause a tingling sensation that lasts a few seconds. It is typically added to grilled foods, such as yakitori chicken.

Takanotsume

Known as Hawk Claw Chilli due to its resemblance to a hawk’s claw, Takanotsume is a fairly spicy chilli pepper that is commonly dried and ground to make chilli powder. Fresh takanotsume can also be finely sliced and added to dishes for extra heat.

Karashi

Karashi is a hot yellow mustard, and it is much stronger than the yellow mustard enjoyed in the West. Like other mustards, Karashi is made from ground seeds. It goes well with pork dishes and is also used as a condiment to accompany natto.

If you want to try Japanese food in the UK for yourself, whether or not you want it to taste spicy, then check out the range of snacks, condiments and ingredients available online at Oriental Mart!