When summer rolls around, it’s party time, which means it’s time to stand around snacking on little bites while finally visiting with family and friends — finally! Potato chips and cream cheese-based dips are fine and good, but you can only have so much of that before you start to feel weighed down. Luckily, summer offers a bounty of fresh produce that, with a little work, can make for delicious, nutritious and light bites — like shishito peppers.
Shishito peppers can be found year-round at most grocery stores but they reach their peak season in summer, when other types of peppers also thrive.
What are Shishito Peppers?
Shishito peppers originated in Japan, and the name shishito refers to the pepper’s distinctive tip shape, which is said to look like a lion’s head. Beyond the tip, you’ll notice shishito peppers by their distinctively curvy and wrinkly shape, and these peppers are also on the smaller side, reaching about 3 inches in length. Though they turn red when particularly ripe, shishito peppers are most often picked when still green.
