The Versatile Shiso Leaf: From Sushi Garnish to Superfood Star

The shiso leaf is a superstar compared to other leafy greens in Japanese cuisine. This tasty plant leaf is used in a variety of native dishes, including high-end sushi. You too can enjoy the wonders of the vegetable by adding it to your pantry.

Thanks to our shiso leaf guide, you can understand the flavor profile of its different types, its health benefits, and how to use it in everyday cooking. 

What Is Shiso? Understanding Japan’s Unique Herb

Shiso, also known as perilla, is a Japanese herb and relative of both the mint family and basil family. Its leaves are a popular flavoring and garnish in Japanese cuisine. Shiso is also called the beefsteak plant, Japanese mint, or, by its botanical name, Perilla frutescens. The plant naturally grew in China and India, but people now grow it all over the world, including Japan.

Although the Japanese shiso leaf is typically green, there are several other varieties, including red. As an aromatic herb, shiso has been used as a garnish, food coloring, and wrap in various Japanese dishes, such as sushi, sashimi, umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums), and salads. But more recently, shiso has become a super healthy food ingredient, famous for its nutritional benefits.

The Different Types of Shiso Leaves: Red, Green, and Beyond

There are at least 6 different types of shiso, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll categorize them into three main types.

• Green shiso (aojiso): This is the most common kind of shiso leaf in Japan. They are known for having a minty and slightly bitter flavor. Green shiso leaves could have a flat or ruffled surface, depending on the variant. In cooking, the leaves tend to produce the same effects as basil or mint. 

• Red shiso (akajiso): This milder-tasting variant of shiso is red in color due to the high amounts of shisonin pigment in the leaves. The surface of red shiso may be flat or ruffled. It can be used in cooking and also making shiso juice.

• Bicolored shiso: This type of shiso contains only two colors, namely, red and green. It can be divided into multiple subcategories based on which sides the colors appear. It may have red on one side and green on the other side, or each side could consist of a mixture of both colors.

Shiso’s Distinct Flavor Profile: A Taste Like No Other

Compared to many other leaves with culinary uses, shiso has a unique and complex flavor that can best be described as herbal, minty, and citrus-like. Its clean and refreshing taste is similar to that of cinnamon. However, shiso is less a spice and more an aromatic herb used to flavor seafood, vegetables, meats, and traditional Japanese dishes.

Shiso’s unique flavor profile also makes it a popular ingredient in mixed drinks like mojitos. You can think of it as an alternative to mint in home beverages.

Traditional Japanese Dishes Featuring Shiso

Shiso is often used to make a wide variety of dishes in Japanese cuisine. Let’s take a look at some of the traditional options.

• Sushi: The leaves are wrapped around pieces of raw fish or meat, such as tuna, yellowtail, and salmon. The entire combination is used as a topping for vinegared rice in fresh sushi.

• Sashimi: Fatty fishes are the ideal sashimi options when cooking with shiso. They are often seasoned with soy sauce to add a savory kick.

• Tempura: Vegetable tempura is a popular traditional Japanese dish in the modern era. And tempura is one of the best options. The leaves are coated in batter and deep-fried in oil.

• Umeboshi wraps: Red shiso leaves can be seasoned with salt and added to pickled ume (plum). 

• Onigiri: Julienned shiso can be mixed with ume, miso, and other ingredients to create seasoning for Japanese rice balls. The balls are wrapped in seaweed.

• Gyoza: The Japanese dumpling is often filled with different kinds of meats and vegetables. Shiso is one of the best fillings to use with the dish.

• Tsukune: The leaves are shredded and used as garnish for Japanese chicken meatball skewers.

Shiso in Sushi: A Classic Culinary Companion

In Japan, shiso is considered the perfect pairing for sushi and sashimi, mainly because of the refreshing taste and aroma it brings to the dish. The leaves are often used as edible wrapping for vinegared rice dishes, thereby adding flavor to the rice and separating items in the tray.

The citrusy flavors of perilla blend perfectly with the fatty flavors of certain sashimi options, such as yellowtail and salmon. The antibacterial properties of the leaves can also help to limit spoilage.

Another way shiso elevates sushi and sashimi plates is through its visual appeal. The bright green colors of the leaves help restaurants make dishes more appealing to customers. For example, shiso is used to decorate inari sushi, a kind of sushi in which the vinegared rice is stuffed in tofu-based pockets.

Health Benefits of Shiso Leaves: Nature’s Powerhouse Herb

There are several health advantages that come with consuming shiso. In this section, we’ll take a look at these special properties that qualify it as a superfood. Enjoy.

• Anti-inflammatory: These leaves help with inflammation, making them effective additions to treatments for asthma and arthritis. 

• Antibacterial benefits: Eating shiso can help to kill the bacteria in the gut that cause illness and digestion problems from eating raw fish.

• Rich in Flavonoids: The abundance of flavonoids in red shiso can improve skin health.

• Highly nutritious: Shiso is rich in various nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins (A, C, and K), and calcium. 

• Filled with antioxidants: Shiso contains antioxidants, which limit free radicals in the body, thereby helping to prevent cell damage and some kinds of cancer.

How to Use Shiso in Everyday Cooking

Next, we’ll explore some simple ways to incorporate shiso in everyday food and drinks. You don’t need to carry out any elaborate cooking process to use these tips.

• Toss in salads: Mix julienned strips of shiso with ginger mustard green, wakame seaweed, tofu, and other vegetables. Dress the salad with a mixture of ponzu, sesame oil, soy sauce, and toasted sesame seeds.

• Use in pasta: Make pesto sauce with shiso leaves by mixing them with pine nuts, olive oil, and Parmesan in a food processor. The pesto sauce will be used to coat pasta, giving it a delicious minty flavor and colored appearance.

• Mix in drinks or desserts: Shiso is the perfect minty addition to all kinds of cocktails, including mojitos and gin & tonic. Use it as an ingredient in certain desserts, including ice cream, granita, sorbets, and syrups. You can also use it to make red perilla juice by adding sparkling water to a mixture of red shiso, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and regular water.

• Add to homemade pickles: Mix shiso with traditional brine ingredients like salt and vinegar in a jar when pickling plum or cucumber.

• Sprinkle on rice and noodles. Ground dried shiso in a food processor and use it as seasoning on top of cooked rice. Feel free to sprinkle it on ramen, udon, soba, and other noodles as well.

Growing Shiso at Home: A Gardening Guide

You can grow the perilla plant in your backyard garden to ensure you have a steady supply of shiso leaves to use in everyday cooking. Perilla is an annual plant that should reach full maturity 80 days after planting the seeds. However, you can start harvesting the leaves a bit earlier. The plant doesn’t take up too much space, so you may grow it in a container, your apartment, or a small garden space.

We recommend that you start the process of growing shiso by submerging the seeds in water to soften them. You can sow them indoors afterwards. Each shiso seed should be planted a quarter inch below the soil surface when the average temperature is around 20 ºC. Remember to water daily.

When they grow into seedlings after about two weeks, check to see that the nighttime temperature is warm enough to prevent frost. If so, you can transplant them in the garden. The plant grows really fast under favorable conditions, but wait until the leaves reach a length of at least 3 inches before harvesting.

Where to Buy Fresh Shiso Leaves and Shiso Products

You can find fresh shiso at some specialty Asian stores, but you have a higher chance of getting the leaves, no matter the time of the year, in Japanese grocery stores. Another place to find these vegetables is at your local farmers’ markets.

Red shiso are rarer than the green ones, as they are mostly available only in the summer. You may find shiso leaves and shiso-based products on online stores, although many of them are not as fresh as those sold in physical stores.

Shiso’s Cultural Legacy: An Herb Rooted in Japanese Tradition

Shiso has had the role of a seasoning, garnish, preservative, disinfectant, and health food in Asia. Although popular all over Asia, shiso is deeply rooted in Japanese tradition. Eating it is a simple way to connect with the culinary culture of the Japanese people.

Another way to do this is through a Bokksu Snack Box Subscription. When you subscribe, we’ll send you a box of snacks, sweets, and other treats from Japan. Each box is based on a unique theme and is filled with mystery goodies that will blow your mind!