Shiso

시소

The plastic green leaf in sushi lunch boxes is actually imitating this shiso leaf. It's the same species as Korean perilla (kkaennip), just a different variety. It has a refreshing aroma like a mix of mint, lemon and basil.

Flavor and aroma

Green shiso is refreshing like mint, with a lemon aroma. It's slightly bitter with a gently sweet finish, and has hints of cinnamon and anise too.
Red shiso is milder, but some people find it quite bitter.

Fun facts

It's a different variety of the same species (Perilla frutescens) as Korean perilla (kkaennip).
The aroma comes from perillaldehyde. Perillartine, a substance made from it, is said to be about 2,000 times sweeter than sugar.
In Japan, a green "shiso flavor Pepsi" came out in summer 2009.
The red color of umeboshi, Japanese pickled plums, comes from red shiso.

In the kitchen

Raw

Serve it with sashimi and sushi, or use it as a bed for sashimi. It goes especially well with rich fish such as salmon and tuna.
Shred it over cold noodles (somen), chilled tofu and salads. Roll it into Vietnamese rice paper rolls too.

Drinks

Boil red shiso with sugar, water and vinegar to make pink shiso juice or an ice like granita.

Cooking

Batter and fry it as shiso tempura, or put it on omelets and soups at the end. Put it on ramen and fried rice too.

Pickling

Use red shiso to color umeboshi or pickled ginger.

Goes well with

SalmonTunaJapanese apricotTofuSomenGinger

Tips

Even a little heat turns the leaves brown, so add it at the end. Green shiso is available all year, and red shiso mainly in early summer.

Season

We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.

Details

Korean name: 시소
English names: shiso, perilla, beefsteak plant
Scientific name: Perilla frutescens var. crispa
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Perilla
Other names and notes: Japanese: aojiso (green), akajiso (red)

Show sources for this page

References for this herb

Wikipedia
Encyclopedia of Life
America's Test Kitchen
Food Republic
Sushi-pedia

Name and classification

Plants of the World Online (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

Photo

Dalgial · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)