Tsujita-san is on a mission to restore the once-heralded Hawk's Claw chili to prominence in Japan. The flavor of Hawk's Claw chili (Takanotsume in Japanese) is bright and pronounced. There's quite a bit of heat to these as well, particularly within the seeds. Their spiciness is similar to Thai chili peppers, and the flavor is somewhat reminiscent of the berry-like notes of a Jimmy Nardello. In Japanese cooking, you always de-seed the peppers. If you de-seed them, you can add up to three peppers to a dish and it will add a nice (but not overwhelming) heat.

From the Edo period, Hawk's Claw was considered the best of all the chili peppers for its lovely shape, exceptional flavor, and heat. Until the 1950s, Yamatsu Tsujita's home city produced an abundance of this esteemed chili. However, due to cheaper, lower quality alternatives being imported, and the relative difficulty of growing and harvesting true Hawk's Claw, cultivation of the chili practically disappeared. To this day, imported chilis, although inferior in heat and flavor, are sold in Japan as "Hawk's Claw". Tsujita-san laments that there is currently no legal protection for Japan-native and grown Hawk's Claw, and wishes to reestablish it to a lauded place in Japanese cuisine. 

Tsujita-san contracts with farmers in the local area to grow this chili, which he then dries and mixes into togarashi spice blends, as well as selling these whole dried chilis. 

Yamatsu Tsujita is based in Osaka, Japan. The peppers are sourced from small farmers around Japan.

8g jar (about 20 peppers, though it's packaged by weight so the number of peppers will vary)

Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free.