A chili pepper with a unique story and surprising characteristics
There are more than 200 varieties of chili peppers, many shades of green, some in hues of red, yellow, and orange. This particular little bright green pepper, Shishito, Shishi means “lion” and falls into the capsicum annuum family, where many other popular peppers such as the pimento, bell pepper, poblano, jalapeno and the serrano, similar species fall. But this particularly mysterious pepper has gained a lot of interest with farmers, foodies and food scholars in the past few years.
These relatively new and popular pepper, the Shishito, come from country of Japan, and falls into the fruit category according to botany experts and not the vegetable category. It has many similarities to the Padron pepper from Spain. An interesting fact, is how the
Merriam-Webster dictionary breaks down the big debate of vegetable vs. fruit. Much like tomatoes and cucumbers, peppers are fruits as well. In short, it comes down to it being a seed thing saying:
“Any thing that grows on a plant and is the means by which that plant gets its seeds out into the world is a fruit.”
The DNA of a Shishito Pepper makes it different when comparing it to vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and beets. But that is only the beginning.
Short History of this Pepper
Much of the early fame for the Shishito pepper could be traced back to chef, Alex Raij, from New York. Raij opened up a few Spanish restaurants in the city who came across a “stash of them” from farmer Nevia No’s stand at Greenmarket farmers market according to an article from New York Magazine, traced back to around 2004. But the interesting part, they didn’t start selling until they changed the name from the Korean name (kkwarigochu) to its current American name, the Shishito pepper. Even more curious is the heat level when comparing this little pepper and its frequency of heat and or its pungency.
New Research on Shishito Peppers
In a recent food study on the sweet but sometimes spicy, Shishito pepper, they looked at a deeper level the relationship between “pungency traits” in hot peppers and the number of seeds. Each Shishito pepper varies in heat level depending on the number of seeds.
In this study, out of 454 different peppers, only 13.9% of them (63), feel into the category of “pungent’. The spicier ones, in most cases, had less seeds compared to the ones that were more-mild in taste. To summarize, the more seeds a pepper had, equaled less heat, the more earthy, sweet notes and tones came to fruition.
The Fiery Compound
According to one of my favorite food sources, The New Food Lover’s Companion, the specific compound that makes certain Shishito peppers hot is called, capsaicin. It’s mostly found in the seeds and membrane of chili peppers and is what gives the pungent or intensity to chili peppers. It is also the science behind what causes the brain to produce endorphins, a sense of well-being, blocking neurotransmitters in real-time while eating these delicious peppers.
A good question when working with chili peppers is how do we measure the heat or pungency of a chili pepper? A type of tool, called the Scoville Scale, also known as SHU, allows us to quantify the level of heat of a hot pepper based on the levels of capsaicin, mostly inside the pepper. Some peppers are mild, see chart below, like a Bell Pepper, other chili peppers, like Dragon’s Breath and Pepper X are too dangerous to eat and handle. We like the Shishito because it adds some heat, adds more complex, earthy notes to dishes or sauces, almost like an umami savory taste to dishes. See the chart below to see how many of our favorite chili peppers are quantified on the heat index level.
Cooking and Uses – A Chef Tip and Recipe
The versatile Shishito pepper is one of my favorites to grow, pick up at the grocery store and cook with because of it being mild in heat and the size and texture. They are much milder compared to jalapeno or a serrano pepper, see chart above to compare. And unlike those two, it is not smooth and gives meals good texture. Bred from the Padron pepper, a Spanish pepper, think of a green bell pepper but ten times better in taste, smaller and more affordable. These peppers are also a great substitute for other Bell Pepper featured dishes such as fajitas or stir fry.
As a former and now retired Sous Chef in the professional culinary world, I like to take about a half-dozen Shishito peppers and add them to a small sauce pan with a little sesame oil, grape seed oil, garlic etc., and roast them on low heat until a little color is on them, lightly roasted. Then, I like to add some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, lime zest and lime juice, and you have a wonderful sauce to add to some cucumbers or roasted chicken wings, (sauce) ingredients recipe and picture of meal below I recommend:
Shishito Pepper Soy Sauce
Ingredients
6 Shishito peppers
1 tbsp. of fresh ginger
1 lime
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. of sesame oil
1 tbsp. of grape seed oil (or canola oil)
1 tbsp. of chili crunch (such as Momofuku brand)
1 tbsp. of cane sugar
1 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. of soy sauce
Preparation & Assembly
Wash and prep your mise en place. Add the two oils in a small sauce pan on low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes, add grated ginger and garlic, add Shishito peppers (roughly chopped), add sugar, chili crunch, cook low heat for 3-5 minutes. Lastly, add liquid, lime juice, lime zest, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, simmer for 1-2 minutes, take off heat. Add Shishito Pepper Soy Sauce to your favorite Asian dishes, vegetables or meat. Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro and green onions. Bon Appetit.
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