Ikkyudo Yakumi Kyo-Shichimi：一休堂京七味（薬味）

I like Arai Hifumi’s prose. Her style is kind of wise, casual & mo lei tau. Before returning to Taiwan, as usual, I would purchase some ingredients bringing Japanese flavors home. At a supermarket under Shinjuku Station, A-Mao encountered Ikkyudo Yakumi Kyo-Shichimi which is catering for Arai Hifumi. Therefore, there was no reason not to open my wallet. This shichimi contains chili pepper, sichuan pepper, green laver, mandarin orange peel, black sesame seed, hemp seed & poppy seed. It smells delicately stimulating and, with cool beer only, tastes not so hot but fantastic. Because of hemp & poppy seeds especially, this relish is sort of illusionary.

喜歡新井一二三的散文。有點智慧、有點瀟灑、也有那麼點無厘頭。歸國之前，A-Mao依循慣例會買些食材，把日本味道帶回家；此行在新宿車站地下的超市內，看到新井家中常備的一休堂京七味，豈有不掏腰包的道理？這京七味是由辣椒粉、罌粟籽、大麻仁、陳皮、黑芝麻、花椒、青海苔組成。打開瓶蓋一嗅，微微的刺激香氣，讓人好想痛快打個噴嚏；倒些放在虎口，配上冰涼的啤酒一嘗，七種材料的風味個性，層次相當分明。特別是罌粟籽以及大麻仁，為這調味勝品，添加那麼點「幻想」。

Tokyo Kitty—東京小貓