The Key Spice Blend You'll Find In A Good Spicy Tuna Roll

It's hard to find a sushi restaurant in the U.S. that doesn't offer a spicy tuna roll. But true sushi lovers know you don't have to go out to eat to find a high-quality version. With a little practice and the right tools and ingredients, you can make yummy sushi recipes at home that taste just like the ones you'd get at a restaurant, spicy tuna included.

However, there are a few key components that will make or break your homemade roll. Fresh sushi or sashimi-grade tuna is, of course, one of them. But what will truly elevate your spicy tuna to restaurant-worthy status is the inclusion of ichimi togarashi. This Japanese term translates to "one-flavor chili pepper," as "ichi" means "one" and "togarashi" refers to chili pepper-infused condiments. Unlike shichimi togarashi, which boasts seven types of spices, ichimi togarashi only uses one: powdered red chili pepper. Because it's ground, it can easily be stirred into your chopped tuna mixture. And while there are other ways of adding spice to this type of roll, this chili pepper provides the perfect amount of heat without overpowering the dish (and your tongue).

Simple though it may be, ichimi togarashi goes way back in Japan. Togarashi was initially created in the 1600s (during the Edo period) in Tokyo. Back then, it was used as a preservative and sold in pharmacies, but eventually, it dispersed throughout local food vendors and became a popular spicy additive to a variety of foods. Today, the peppers are roasted before they're ground into the powdered spice. And as we mentioned, ichimi togarashi is the sister blend to shichimi togarashi, which includes the red chili pepper along with seasonings like poppy seeds, seaweed, ginger, and sesame seeds. Some spicy tuna roll recipes do use the seven-spice mixture, but it will give you a more robust flavor instead of straightforward heat.

So once you've made your sushi, what else can you do with ichimi togarashi? It's ideal in Japanese dishes where you're looking to add a little kick, which can include bowls of ramen, udon, and soba noodle soups. You can incorporate it into sauces for Japanese BBQ, sprinkle it on fried rice or scrambled eggs, and mix it into salad dressings with ingredients like ginger, garlic, and rice wine vinegar. But when you're looking to whip up spicy tuna rolls from scratch, make sure to stock up on this spice so that yours ends up with the right amount of heat.