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.

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