Shishito

Shishito is a Japanese Capsicum annuum cultivar whose name comes from shishi meaning lion and togarashi meaning chilli pepper, referring to the wrinkled tip of the pod resembling a lion’s head. It is a Japanese-developed cultivated variety rather than a wild or regional landrace.

Plants are compact, typically reaching about 30 to 45 centimetres in height. Pods are pendant and usually measure around 7.5 to 10 centimetres long and 13 to 19 millimetres wide. Fruits ripen from green to red but are almost always harvested green. Harvest is commonly described as early season, around 60 to 70 days after transplanting.

Shishito is widely described as sweet or very mild. Most pods register close to zero heat, with a small percentage occasionally producing mild heat. For database consistency, 200 SHU is used as a practical single-value figure.

Shishito is strongly associated with Japanese cuisine, where it is commonly pan blistered, grilled, or prepared as tempura. It is used as a side dish or garnish rather than a heat source, valued for flavour, aroma, and texture.

Shishito does not appear in pre-modern Japanese agricultural records under this name and is generally considered a modern cultivar developed in Japan during the early 20th century.