🍱 Taitan of Manganji Togarashi and Jako

“Taitan of Manganji Togarashi and Jako” is a popular home-style simmered dish using Manganji Togarashi (Manganji red pepper), one of the brand products of Kyoto, and Jako (dried young sardines). "Taitan" refers to a side dish made by cooking it in such a way that the ingredients slowly soak up the soup stock. Because Manganji Togarashi is a summer vegetable, it is often served on the table in summer. It is the longest of the large sweet peppers; it is also slender, slim at the top and slightly curved all over, fresh dark green, glossy and taut, and refreshing looking. It is said to have been cultivated around the end of the Taisho period (1912-1926) in the Manganji area of Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture, as a result of the natural hybridization of “Fushimi Togarashi”, a traditional Kyoto vegetable, with California Wonder, a native of North America. It is a vegetable with a fresh taste and fleshy texture. Although it is called red pepper, it is not spicy and is safe for children to eat.