- Type
- Fruiting Vegetables
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Season
- Summer
- Sowing
- Transplant
Shishito Pepper (Kkwari-gochu)
Capsicum annuum
Mild green pepper, rich in vitamin C
The shishito pepper, known in Korea as kkwari-gochu, is a mild, wrinkly variety of green pepper that's a familiar fixture on the Korean table, often cooked whole in stir-fries and braises like myeolchi-bokkeum (stir-fried anchovies). It carries very little capsaicin, so it stays gentle on the palate, and it contains vitamin C. Even from a single bag a hot one turns up now and then, so taste them one at a time when cooking for children. For the compounds behind capsaicin, see the chili pepper entry.
Year-Round Calendar
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Where It Grows
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Main producer
Jinju and Miryang in South Gyeongsang, and the South Jeolla area, are the growing regions. Open-field growing lasts a single summer season, and the winter and spring volumes come from protected cultivation under glass and plastic. Harvest June, July, August, September
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- Main producer Known as shishito, it is widely eaten, and Kochi Prefecture is the leading growing region. Winter volumes come from protected cultivation.
- Major producer In Shandong and other areas, growers raise the crop for shipment to Korea and Japan.
The chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum) was domesticated in Central America and spread across the world in the 16th century, and because its origin cannot be pinned to a single country, no origin row was set up. The shishito pepper (kkwari-gochu) branched off later as a cultivated line in East Asia, so eating and growing it is in practice confined to Korea and Japan, and to China, which supplies that export trade. World statistics count chillies and sweet peppers as a single item, so there is no production figure for shishito peppers counted on their own.
- Optimum
- 25~30℃
- Range
- 15~35℃
- Hardiness
- Not hardy
- Day length
- Day-neutral
A warm-country summer crop that is killed by frost. It sets fruit well at 25–30℃ by day and around 18℃ at night; above 35℃ the pollen is damaged and fewer fruits set. What decides when it flowers and sets fruit is not day length but temperature and water, so it is treated as day-neutral, meaning it does not respond to photoperiod. When water is short, the pungency grows stronger.
In Korea Nationwide
In the open field, seedlings are set out in April–May and the fruit is picked from June to September, while winter and spring volumes come from protected cultivation. Jinju and Miryang in South Gyeongsang are the best-known areas.
How to grow
- Light
- Somewhere sunny
- Soil and depth
- 30cm deep or more
- Spacing
- 40cm
- Watering
- Steady. Dry plants turn hot
- Feeding
- Every two or three weeks
- Harvest
- At 5 to 6cm, once the skin wrinkles. Pick often and it keeps setting
What makes the difference. Milder than chilli, but dry it out and it turns hot. Watering decides the flavour
Common problems
- Anthracnose You will see Brown patches on the fruit What to do Keep the air moving and remove affected fruit
- Aphids You will see Sticky new growth What to do Wash them off
This page describes how a crop is grown and used. It does not claim health effects for any food, nor is it intended to prevent or treat disease. Component and study notes are references only and do not mean the same result occurs in people. Consult a medical professional about health concerns.
Health Benefits
A pepper variety — shared evidence. The shishito (kkwari-gochu) is a mild cultivar of the same species as the chili pepper (Capsicum annuum), so it shares the same underlying nutrients, including capsaicin and vitamin C. For a fuller look at the components, health effects, and academic research, see the chili pepper entry, where the two are covered together.
Nutrition
- Capsaicin (small amount) (the compound behind the heat) — the compound that creates pungency, present in small amounts
- Vitamin C (as in green peppers) — a vitamin found in green peppers
Vitamin C As a green-pepper type it contains vitamin C. The vitamin is sensitive to heat, so a quick cooking leaves more of it than a long one.
Capsaicin (small amount) It holds far less capsaicin than hot chili peppers, which keeps it mild. Even so, a hot one turns up among them now and then.
Pairings
○ Anchovies (kkwari-gochu myeolchi-bokkeum) — Stir-fried with small dried anchovies and soy sauce, the peppers become a classic side dish that delivers a dose of calcium alongside the greens.
○ Soy-braised — Braised whole in soy sauce, they make an easy, savory accompaniment to rice.
○ Doenjang and ssam — Eaten raw and dipped in doenjang (fermented soybean paste), they stay mild and crisp.
Varieties
- Kkwari-gochu (standard wrinkled type) (Seedling transplanting) — About 10cm long, puckered, almost never hot. The default for braising or frying whole.
- Asak-i gochu (crisp green pepper) (Seedling transplanting) — Often planted beside kkwari-gochu. Thick walls give it a crisp bite, raw or grilled.
- Oi-mat gochu (cucumber-flavour green pepper) (Seedling transplanting) — Another mild green pepper, long and straight, with juicy flesh and next to no heat.
Source: Rural Development Administration (Nongsaro)