With a range on the Scoville scale from 50 to 200 Scoville heat units, this Japanese chile pepper offers a moderate but distinctive heat. The peppers can be 1″ – 4″ long, slender, and thin-walled. Although it turns from green to red upon ripening, it is usually harvested while green. The name refers to the fact that the tip of the chili pepper looks like the head of a lion. These chilies are growing fast in popularity as grilling peppers. Char-grilled or fried with a little olive oil and sea salt and you have a very tasty appetizer chili with a little bit of extra flair. Their grassy flavor also makes them an excellent chili for stir-fry, and they also work quite well as a tempura vegetable. (55 days)