Shishito peppers are a Japanese chilli and, like a Spanish churro, they are ribbed lengthwise with relatively thin skin. The Shishito tastes more like sweet pepper than chilli pepper, but a little spicier. The bottom of the chilli pepper resembles the head of a lion, hence the name Shishito (reference in Japanese).

Shishito peppers are used in Japanese cuisine for making tempura or traditionally roasted in the pan with some sesame oil and soya sauce or sea salt. Usually a hole is made in the chilli pepper to prevent it from bursting.

Shishito has a length of about 9 cm, a diameter of 1 to 2 cm and a weight of 6 to 10 g.