Shishito

Description

Capsicum annuum

This is a Japanese mangetout pepper whose thin-fleshed fruit are harvested young and eaten whole. Pick the fruit when they are 5 to 7cm long – they should be green and tender, with seeds that are soft and pliable. Cooking couldn’t be simpler: either deep fry the fruit in a tempura batter or grill them on a skewer with chicken.

Green fruit left on the plant will eventually ripen to red. At this point, the seeds are bigger and tougher, rendering the fruit inedible as a mangetout.

The medium tall plants are compact and grow well in the ground or 7.5 to 10 litre pots. They will need some support so that they don’t fall over.

Heat level: Heatless (immature stage); extremely mild (fully ripe)
Note: The green fruit of Shishito have no heat, which is why this pepper is commonly considered to be a sweet pepper. However, a hint of heat is detectable in the central core of the fully ripe fruit, meaning this pepper is actually a chilli. To help visitors find Shishito on our website we list the variety in both the sweet pepper and vegetable chilli categories.

Approximate number of seed per pack: 20

British Ethnic