Shishito peppers are categorized in the “sweet chili pepper” family in Japan, classified differently from hot chili peppers.
They are popular summer vegetables in Japan and are served as snacks and side dishes.
OVERVIEW OF SHISHITO PEPPERS
NAME: SHISHITO PEPPER
SPECIES: Solanaceae Capsicum
NATIVE: Central and South America
SEASON: June-August
SHISHITO is named because this green pepper looks like the lion’s face looking from the tip side.
Shishi refers to a “lion” and to shorten the term “togarashi” which means chili pepper in Japanese.
Shishito peppers are rich in vitamin C, which is effective in relieving fatigue, and B-carotene, which is effective in preventing infectious diseases.
Shishito peppers are generally not spicy, but depending on the environment in which they are grown, they can be very spicy.
JAPANESE COOKING TIP: HOW TO PREPARE SHISHITO PEPPERS
Shishito peppers are delicious goes to be grilled, deep-fried, and pan-fried.
Yet, they often burst while cooking.
Here is a Japanese cooking tip!
With a knife or a pair of kitchen scissors, make a small notch of shishito peppers to prevent them from bursting.
I use a pair of scissors because I use them to cut off extra stalks anyway.
Staple Japanese Shishito Peppers Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 6 oz Shishito peppers
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic, sliced
- 1-2 tsp dark soy sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- (Prepare Shishito Peppers) Cut off extra long stalks if needed. With a knife or a pair of kitchen scissors, make small notches to prevent them from bursting while cooking.
- In a skillet, add 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and sliced garlic.
- Cook sliced garlic over low heat until they are fragrant.
- Add the shishito peppers and cook for 7-10 minutes over medium heat, allowing them to blister/brown on each side.
- Add 1-2 tsp of dark soy sauce, stir them a few times, and transfer to a platter.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste if desired.
Notes
SUBSTITUTE FOR SOY SAUCE
You can use TERIYAKI SAUCE instead of doy sauce.
Here is my AUTHENTIC JAPANESE TERIYAKI SAUCE recipe if you’re interested.
This homemade TERIYAKI SAUCE is much more than store-bought sweet TERIYAKI sauce!
If you have YAKINIKU sauce (Japanese bbq sauce) left over in your fridge, you can use it instead of soy sauce.
Adding an extra touch of toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds brings extra crunchiness.
Bachan’s Sauce or RICO’s YAKINIKU SAUCE?
SHISHITO PEPPER stir-fry with MISO SAUCE is dangerous because you can’t stop eating rice with the dish!
Store my NAGOYA-STYLE MISO SAUCE in your fridge which is the versatile sauce for any dish.
SHICHIMI TOGARASHI
Sprinkle SHICHIMI TOGARASHI peppers to change the flavor!
“Shichimi” refers to seven flavors, so SHICHIMI TOGARASHI is the spice mix with seven spices including dried chili pepper flakes.
Shichimi Togarashi is a traditional Japanese condiment made of blended spices such as roasted red chili pepper flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and other spices which can provide a rich aroma and flavor to any Japanese cuisine.
SUBSTITUTE FOR SALT AND PEPPER
AJI-SHIO-KOSHO is an all-purpose seasoning and also can bring savory dishes without effort while simply shaking the bottle to ingredients.
You can use it not only for stir-fry dishes such as mixed vegetable stir-fry and fried rice but also for steak and fried chicken.
Switch salt and pepper to AJI-SHIO-KOSHO, thus, you can save a bit of time (cut the time to sprinkle salt and pepper), besides, avoid over-season since the ingredients of the seasoning mix are well-balanced and designed so the same amount comes out every time you shake the bottle.
AJI-SHIO-KOSHO can bring absolutely more savory flavor to this classic simple stir-fried dish.