Shiso Perilla Leaf Red Green Varieties Culinary Role · The Japanese Canon

I

Origin

Japan and East Asia; cultivated in Japan for over 2,000 years; essential to kaiseki garnish vocabulary

II

Description

Shiso (Perilla frutescens var. crispa) is Japan's most ubiquitous and versatile herb, existing in two primary forms with distinct culinary applications. Ao-jiso (green shiso) has bright, complex flavors combining mint, basil, anise, and cinnamon notes with a clean sharp finish and is used extensively as a garnish for sashimi, folded into sushi rolls (hosomaki), julienned as a salad ingredient (sengiri shiso), and deep-fried in tempura. Aka-jiso (red/purple shiso) contains the pigment cyanidin that turns bright red in acidic environments, making it the essential natural colorant for umeboshi (plum pickles), shibazuke (Kyoto eggplant pickle), and yukari (dried shiso seasoning). Red shiso loses its red hue without acid—it appears olive-green in neutral pH but transforms vividly in the presence of ume citric acid or rice vinegar. The flowers (hojiso), buds (hojiiso), and seedpods (suijiso) are used as seasonal garnishes in kaiseki. Shiso is best used fresh; it oxidizes and discolors rapidly when cut, requiring immediate plating. Korean culinary tradition uses a related kkaennip variety that is coarser and more intensely flavored.

III

The Thread

—Same plant family used as aromatic wrapper and fermentation ingredient in neighboring tradition Korean

—Perilla family herbs providing herbal complexity to raw preparations across East Asian cuisines Vietnamese

IV

Flavour Context

Green: bright mint-basil-anise with citrus finish; Red: more resinous with vegetal depth; both intensely aromatic

Pillars V — VII

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