Shichimi togarashi
A Japanese seven-spice blend, usually chili, sansho pepper, dried orange peel, sesame and nori, sprinkled over food at the table.
Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese spice blend whose name means "seven-flavor chili". The exact mix varies by maker and region, but it almost always contains coarsely ground red chili, sansho pepper, dried citrus peel, sesame and seaweed flakes, often with ginger, hemp seed or poppy seed as well. It is hot without being fierce, with a fresh citrus note, a faintly tingling, numbing edge from the sansho and a nutty depth from the sesame. It is sprinkled on at the end over noodle soups, rice bowls, grilled food or hot pots, because the aromas fade quickly with cooking. You can find it in Asian grocery stores and online, usually in small shaker jars; since it loses its fragrance fast, buy small amounts and keep it cool and dark.
Substitute:
A homemade mix comes close: chili flakes with toasted sesame, finely grated dried orange peel, a little ground sansho or Sichuan pepper and crumbled nori. Ichimi togarashi or plain chili flakes give only the heat, without the citrus, tingle and nuttiness, so the result is noticeably flatter.