shishito

noun

shi·​shi·​to shi-ˈshē-(ˌ)tō 

variants or shishito pepper

plural shishitos or shishito peppers also shishito

: a slender usually mild chili pepper of East Asia typically harvested while still green

… shishitos, those approachable, mild, delightfully grassy peppers.

—Mia Leimkuhler

[Sam] Maher, who'd been munching on snips of beet leaves and radish pods while cutting ingredients, grabbed a shishito pepper and dunked it into a bowl of whipped tahini.

—Miguel Otárola

Menu highlights include … a wagyu beef hot dog with shishito, pickles, cherry tomatoes, …

—Julian Nazar

Shishito peppers have notes of sweetness and are slightly smoky. Generally, they are mild but are occasionally blessed with spicy heat.

—Cathy Thomas

She handed me the handwritten instructions and recipe for the shishito vinaigrette that I had dreamed about for the last year …

—Jan Risher

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese shishitō, short for shishitōgarashi, from shishi "lion" + tōgarashi "chili pepper (Capsicum annuum)"

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above