Shiso leaves

Flavour and aroma

minty, basil-like, citrus, faintly cinnamon or cumin. Minty, basil-like, with citrus and a faint cinnamon or cumin note.

Heat

No heat

Forms

fresh

How to use it

• use raw

  Use fresh: roll and slice into fine shreds for rice, noodles and salads, or use whole leaves under sashimi.

• fry · Tadka (tempering) technique

  For tempura, coat only one side in thin batter and fry at about 170 °C for 20–30 seconds.

• infuse · Simmering technique

  Red shiso: rub with salt to release purple juice, then pack with ume or vegetables to colour pickles; or simmer in water to make shiso juice.

• Garnish and wrapper for sashimi and sushi rolls
• Tempura (fried on one side)
• Shredded over rice, noodles and salads
• Red shiso for umeboshi and pickled ginger colour
• Shiso juice and syrups

Identifying good quality

Broad, round-tipped leaves with deeply serrated edges, bright green (aojiso) or purple-red (akajiso). Fresh leaves are crisp and aromatic; limp or blackened edges mean they are old.

• Not to be confused with Mint: Mint leaves are smaller and smoother-edged, with a cooling menthol smell.
• Not to be confused with Perilla seeds: Korean perilla leaf (kkaennip) is the same species but a different variety: larger, rounder and more sesame-like.

Origin and history

Origin: East Asia and the Himalayas (Perilla frutescens).. Grown and used: Grown in Japan, Korea, China and Vietnam; used mainly in Japanese cooking, with related varieties in Korea and Vietnam..

Perilla has been cultivated in East Asia for centuries for its leaves and oil-rich seeds. In Japan, green shiso is the standard herb with sashimi, and red shiso has long been used to colour and flavour umeboshi (pickled ume) and other pickles.

Commonly told; not firmly documented