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Manganji Togarashi Japanese Sweet Pepper Capsicum Annuum Seeds
Packet of 20+ very rarely available seeds!
This fella is a very mild Japanese chilli with a really interesting history, and it has a great taste too.
Often confused with the Shishito which has a blunted point, where as this fella is tapered to a point.
One half of this plants heritage comes from Japan where it is honoured with the status of a being a traditional specialty vegetable of Kyoto, Japan.
Only ~40 unique vegetables that have a huge cultural significance to a specific region are given this title of Kyo Yasai or Dento Yasai.
They taste more of chilli and less “leafy green” than a capsicum, but they lack the heat completely(most of the time..).
The flesh is very soft and it is NOT at all crisp or crunchy.
It breaks apart with ease and has a very thin skin with no bitterness, and for these reasons it is considered to be the king of all sweet chilli peppers in Japan.
The other half of its heritage comes from a pretty boring looking American capsicum.
It had a little more hardiness and a better adaptability to other regions, and after crossing the two the famous “Manganji Togarashi” sweet pepper was born.
This is what you are buying from me.
I originally got these seeds from an Uncle-inlaw in Japan who grows heaps of them, and we ate them regularly in sushi shops and restaurants while we were over there on holiday a few years ago.
They ripen to bright red, but they are normally eaten while still soft plump and green.
They are really fun to eat just grilled or fried, and most are sweet and soft as you would expect(poke a hole in them first or they pop like a balloon!).
BUT, every now and then you get one that has some heat.
Maybe one in every dozen or so depending on the growing conditions?
It’s pretty random, and very very funny!
Nothing crazy, really quite tasty, but it’s kind of a like a game of Russian roulette, you never know which ones gonna pack a punch.
I found it super funny to watch folks try to act cool and casually keep talking when they find the hot one.
Everyone sitting around drinking and feasting, just shoveling them in along with everything else, telling jokes and laughing, then POW!
Their face tightens up and they look all serious for a second, then a single bead of sweat rolls down their forehead.
They then calmly clear their throat and the words get all fumbled, but just for a moment till they regain their composure.
With me speaking bugger all Japanese I found it way more interesting watching the faces than trying to keep up with the conversation at the big family get togethers.
I’m a chilli wimp and can handle these with ease and like I say, the majority are just like a much better tasting capsicum that just looks like a chilli.
Because of the random heat and irregular shape they are unlikely to ever be popular at your local supermarket, but for a home gardener looking for something high yielding and a little bit different they are awesome!
Super hardy and productive, great raw or cooked, they even look cool too.
Grown by me and the Mrs organically, no chems, no nasties, no problems!!!
