Description
Sealed bottle of Japanese shichimi noodle seasoning. If you've ever enjoyed
udon or soba noodles in a
Japanese restaurant then you may remember seeing a small wood or bamboo container of red spices
sitting on the table, and perhaps even ventured popping the little stopper in
order to tap a bit of the contents over your noodles. The spicy bite of this seasoning, called
shichimi, is quite memorable and as important a part of the meal to
noodle-loving Japanese as salsa is to Mexican diners. Shichimi means "seven spices" and this
unique blend of feisty ingredients, though intended principally for soba
and udon noodles, goes quite well with other dishes as well. This
new bottle of shichimi seasoning is made by the S & B company and comes
in a sealed glass container suitable for dispensing (though we hope you will
consider purchasing one of our
authentic shichimi dispensers which come with a free bottle of
shichimi spice!).
Size Information:
Height: 3.6 inches (9.3 centimeters)
Weight: 2.6 ounces (74 grams)
Click
here
to see other shichimi spice items!
Click
here
to see more Japanese kitchen items!
Old Fashioned Shichimi Spice Dispensers
Shichimi seasoning is available in Japan in small glass bottles which
themselves can be used to dispense the contents. However, many
tradition-loving Japanese prefer to transfer the spice into an old-fashioned
wood or bamboo holder specially designed to carry and dispense shichimi.
The holder, called shichimi-ire (ire means "container") is made of a length of cleaned and dried
wood or bamboo with a small hole sealed with a cork-like plug. When one wishes to dispense shichimi you need only
remove the stopper and tap a bit of the contents over your noodles.
Altogether a very simple device, quite suited to Japanese sensibilities which
lean towards practical items which capture the unembellished beauty of nature.
These unique spice dispensers look great on the table and are sure to be a
conversation piece with curious mealtime guests. Please click
here to see authentic bamboo shichimi-ire spice dispensers (which
come with a free bottle of shichimi spice!) available for purchase from
our eBay store The Old Tokaido.
Long Noodles and Long Luck - Soba Noodles in Japan on New Years Eve
An interesting end-of-year tradition in Japan is the consumption of soba
noodles on new years eve. Like the midnight kiss western couples commonly
exchange to ring in the new year, the Japanese enjoy their own tradition of
gathering at soba noodle restaurants for the year's final meal. This
interesting tradition has its roots in the curious equation of "long noodles"
with "long luck," and includes religious overtones as soba noodles were
once the stock-in-trade of many feudal era Buddhist temples, who sold bowls of
the delicious buckwheat fare to hungry pilgrims arriving at their gates.
Buddhism and noodles actually have a long association in Japan, where it is
thought Buddhist priests first introduced noodles from China during the 9th
century.
As for our family, we favor a small soba shop in our community which
certain members of our family have patronized for over 40 years. The
restaurant is called Iwaichi and is run by three generations of the
Kobayashi
family. Working from 7 AM until past midnight six days a week, the
Kobayashi
family make both noodles (men) and soup (tsuyu) from scratch in an establishment
that seems to have its menu prices forever stuck in the decade of the 70's.
Visitors to Iwaichi are invariably greeted upon entry by the kind-faced
mother of the family (mid 60's) while in the back the rest of her family
(including a very elderly yet spry pair of grandparents) can be seen busily
preparing savory bowls of soba for eager customers. Our daughter
Emily especially enjoys visiting Iwaichi which has a small bookshelf well
stocked with children's books for auntie Yoko to read to her. Emily also
enjoys the treat of fresh fruit she invariably receives after her meal,
complements of the kitchen staff.
Important Note To Customers in the United States
The 2002 Bioterrorism Act mandates tighter security and inspection of food items
arriving at US ports of entry. Please understand that this heightened
level of security may delay shipments of food items beyond the normal 7 to 9
business day delivery time. If you are planning to resell food items you
purchase from us then please read below for important information of interest to
US resellers.
Note to Resellers:
Food imported into the USA for commercial purposes requires prior notice
submission to the FDA. Resellers should therefore please
contact us before buying
food items from The Old Tokaido in order that we may discuss your purchase and
FDA prior notice procedure.
item code: INV-0000082_08 HOM-0000204
category code: (KITTOT)
ship code: L2160
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