Fresh Pepper
Tatashe
Sweet red pepper
Tatashe pepper is a large, mild red pepper commonly called red bell pepper or sweet red pepper, used for colour and body in Nigerian jollof and stew bases.
Ingredient record
Names & identity
Names can vary by language, market and region. Only reviewed names are displayed here.
| Nigerian/common name | Tatashe |
|---|---|
| English/common name | Sweet red pepper |
| YorubaSouth-western Nigeria | TatasheAlso spelt TatasheyA culinary market name; cultivar equivalence varies. |
What is Tatashe?
Tatashe is a Nigerian market name for a large, mild red pepper. It is commonly explained in English as red bell pepper or sweet red pepper, although market varieties, water content and sweetness vary. It is valued for colour, body and gentle sweetness in blended pepper bases.
What is Tatashe called in English?
Red bell pepper or sweet red pepper is the closest practical English shopping description. Tatashe is a culinary market name rather than a guarantee of one genetically uniform cultivar, so shape and heat can vary.
Flavour & identification
What does it taste like?
Sweet, vegetal and mild
What does it look like?
It is generally larger and broader than ata rodo, with red flesh and relatively mild heat. Shape varies by market supply.
Using Tatashe in Nigerian cooking
How is it used?
Deseed if desired and blend with tomatoes, onions and hotter peppers.
Which dishes use it?
Jollof rice pepper base
Nigerian tomato stew
Sauces and soups
How do you prepare it?
Remove the stalk and seeds if desired, then blend or roast with tomatoes, onion and hotter peppers.
How much should you use?
Use it for body and colour rather than heat. The balance depends on the tomatoes and hot pepper in the dish.
Buying, storing & substituting
How to store it
Refrigerate and use while firm.
Possible substitutes
A red bell pepper or other mild red pepper can supply body and colour, though sweetness and water content vary.
Supporting research
Ingredient research
Sweet red peppers are recognised dietary sources of vitamin C and carotenoids. Vitamin C supports normal collagen formation, iron absorption and immune function, but the amount retained varies with cultivar, storage and cooking. This is a nutritional contribution, not evidence that tatashe treats illness.
Sources & further reading
This entry remains in research. No unsupported source is displayed.
Reviewed by Nigerian Spices editorial desk, 22 September 2026.
Navigate the flavour map
Related & compared
Continue exploring
Related Nigerian ingredients
International Spice
Widely used in Nigerian cookingFennel
Aromatic • Sweet
A sweet-aniseed seed or herb ingredient used in selected drinks, dishes and spice blends.
Explore Fennel
International Spice
Widely used in Nigerian cookingPaprika
Peppery • Sweet
A ground red-pepper seasoning used for colour, mild sweetness or heat depending on the product.
Explore Paprika
Fresh Pepper
Shombo
Long red pepper; cayenne-type pepper
Peppery · Medium to hot heat
Shombo is a long Nigerian red pepper, often compared with cayenne-type pepper, used for red-chilli flavour and variable heat in pepper bases.
Explore ShomboKnow another name for this ingredient? Corrections and naming suggestions are reviewed before publication.
Suggest a correction →