Padrón and shishito peppers are small, thin-walled green Capsicum annuum peppers from Galicia and Japan, blistered in oil and salted. Most are mild, but the odd one is surprisingly hot.
What it is¶
Padrón and shishito are two related styles of small, green, thin-walled Capsicum annuum peppers that are picked immature and cooked whole, usually blistered in hot oil and eaten by hand, stalk and all.
- Padrón (pimientos de Padrón) are from Galicia in northwest Spain: 3–5 cm long, stubby, slightly wrinkled, rich green. Picked young they are mild, but some are hot, and the proportion rises as the season goes on and the peppers grow larger.
- Shishito (shishitō) are from Japan: slimmer, 5–10 cm long, wrinkled and pointed at the tip, and generally even milder. The name refers to the tip's supposed resemblance to a lion's head (shishi).
Both are famous for the gamble. A popular claim is that about one shishito in ten is hot; this is folklore rather than a measured figure, and the real proportion varies with growing conditions, since heat and drought stress raise capsaicin levels.
Origins and history¶
Tradition in Galicia holds that Franciscan monks brought pepper seeds back from the Americas to the convent of Herbón, near the town of Padrón, in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, and the peppers have been grown in the parish ever since. The Galician saying Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non ("Padrón peppers: some are hot and some are not") sums up their appeal. The local peppers are protected in the EU as Pemento de Herbón (PDO); much of what is sold abroad as "padrón" is the same variety grown elsewhere, including in Morocco and the Netherlands.
Shishito peppers have a long history in Japan as a summer vegetable, and gained popularity in American restaurants from the 2010s as an easy, sharable bar snack.
Flavour and aroma¶
Both taste grassy and green, with a mild bitterness balanced by sweetness, and the skin blisters and chars to give a smoky edge. Padróns are a little meatier and more robust; shishitos are thinner, sweeter and more delicate. The occasional hot pepper can be surprisingly fiery for such a small, innocent-looking thing, though rarely more than a hot jalapeño.
In the kitchen¶
Blistered peppers¶
The classic preparation for both is almost the same.
- Heat 2–3 tbsp olive oil (for padrón) or a neutral oil (for shishito) in a heavy frying pan over a high heat until shimmering.
- Add a single layer of dry peppers, about 200 g for two people.
- Cook, turning occasionally, for 3–5 minutes until blistered and softened, with some black spots.
- Tip into a bowl and scatter generously with flaky sea salt. Eat hot, holding the stalk.
Pierce a few shishitos first with a knife tip, or they may burst in the pan.
Other uses¶
- Japan: shishitos grilled as yakitori skewers, fried as tempura, simmered in soy, mirin and dashi, or stir-fried with miso. See japanese cuisine.
- Spain: padróns with a glass of Albariño, beside tortilla, grilled octopus or cured ham.
- Both are good charred on a barbecue, added to salads and grain bowls, or folded into omelettes.
💡 Serve with a squeeze
A few drops of lemon juice or a dusting of smoked paprika or shichimi togarashi over the salted peppers works well. Keep the peppers dry before they go into the oil, or it will spit.
Buying and storing¶
Choose firm, glossy, bright green peppers without soft spots or wrinkled, dull skins. Store unwashed in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a week. They do not freeze well raw because they collapse; cook them fresh. Early-summer padróns are the mildest; late-season ones are more likely to be hot.
Substitutes¶
- Padrón and shishito for each other.
- Italian friggitelli, also mild frying peppers.
- Small, thin-walled sweet peppers, halved, for a similar blistered dish without any heat.
- Do not substitute jalapeños as a snack for a crowd unless everyone likes heat.
Pairs well with¶
Olive oil, flaky sea salt, lemon, garlic, soy, miso, sesame, shichimi togarashi, bonito flakes, ham, octopus, eggs and cold white wine or beer.
Growing your own¶
Both are easy, compact plants well suited to British greenhouses and warm patios. Sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C and plant out after frost or keep under cover. Plants grow 50–80 cm and crop heavily. Pick padróns when 3–5 cm and shishitos at 5–8 cm, while still green and before the seeds harden; frequent picking encourages more fruit and keeps them milder. Left to ripen, they turn red and hotter. See growing chillies.