is a popular, normally mild

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

n pepper variety of the species ''

Capsicum annuum ''Capsicum annuum'' is a fruiting plant from the family Solanaceae (nightshades), within the genus Capsicum which is native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces Berry, berries of many color ...

''., abstract quote: " 'Shishito' (Capsicum annuum L.) is a group of sweet pepper cultivars. Fruits are small, green and non-pungent, but pungent fruits sometimes occur.."

Characteristics

The pepper is small and finger-long, slender, and thin-walled. Although it turns from green to red upon ripening, it is usually harvested while green. The name refers to the fact that the tip of the looks like the head; in

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, it is often abbreviated as ''shishitō''. About one out of every ten to twenty peppers is spicy. The occurrence of pungent fruit is induced by such factors as exposure to sunlight, and other environmental stresses. The prefectural agricultural testing center at Kishigawa, Wakayama stated in 2005 that

capsaicin Capsaicin (8-methyl-''N''-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) (, rarely ) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus ''Capsicum''. It is a potent Irritation, irritant for Mammal, mammals, including humans, and produces ...

forms more easily in hot and dry conditions in the summer, and even experts may not be able to distinguish relative hotness on the same plant. For cooking, a hole is poked in the pepper beforehand to keep expanding hot air from bursting the pepper. It may be skewered then broiled (grilled), pan-fried in oil, stewed in a

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

– and

dashi is a family of stocks used in Japanese cuisine. ''Dashi'' forms the base for miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and many simmering liquids to accentuate the savory flavor known as umami. ''Dashi'' is also mixed into the flour b ...

-based liquid, or simply eaten raw in a salad or as a condiment. It is thin-skinned and will blister and char easily compared with thicker-skinned varieties of peppers.

Gallery

Shishito Peppers.jpg, Grilled shishito peppers File:Noyo River Grill - March 2024 - Sarah Stierch 03.jpg, Fried shishito peppers in

Fort Bragg, California Fort Bragg is a city along the North Coast (California), North Coast of California in Mendocino County, California, Mendocino County. The city is west of Willits, California, Willits, at an elevation of . Its population was 6,983 at the 2020 ...

File:Kkwari-gochu-myeolchi-bokkeum.jpg, ''Kkwari-gochu- myeolchi-

bokkeum ''Bokkeum'' () is a category of stir-fried dishes in Korean cuisine. Etymology ''Bokkeum'' () is a verbal noun derived from the Korean verb ''bokkda'' (), meaning "to cook food or food ingredients with little or a small amount of liquid by st ...

'' (stir-fried shishito peppers with dried anchovies) File:Kkwarigochujangajji (pickled kkwari pepper).jpg, ''Kkwari-gochu-

jangajji ''Jangajji'' () or pickled vegetables is a type of ''banchan'' (side dish) made by pickling vegetables. * Unlike kimchi, ''jangajji'' is non-fermented vegetables, usually pickled in soy sauce, soybean paste, or chili paste. ''Jangajji'' dish ...

'' (pickled shishito peppers) File:Homegrown shishito peppers.jpg, Shishito peppers shortly after being picked

References

{{Capsicum Cultivars Chili peppers Fruit vegetables Japanese vegetables Capsicum cultivars Korean vegetables

Characteristics

Gallery

See also

References