Japanese Shiso: Red, Green, and the Aromatic Herb Spectrum

Japan — shiso cultivation documented from the Heian period; the colour distinction between green and red forms exploited through different cultivation traditions; red shiso for umeboshi pickling established as a tradition from the Edo period

Shiso (紫蘇, Perilla frutescens var. crispa) — Japan's most widely used culinary herb — exists in two primary colour forms with distinct culinary applications and flavour profiles: green shiso (ao-jiso or ōba) and red shiso (aka-jiso), supplemented by the use of young shiso seedlings (mé-jiso, baby shiso sprouts) and shiso flowers (hana-jiso) as micro-garnishes. Green shiso's flavour profile is complex — a combination of mint, anise, and citrus with a distinctive metallic freshness that is considered one of the most characteristic Japanese aromatic notes; it is used as a wrap for sashimi and sushi rolls, as a chiffonade garnish for sashimi and cold noodles, and as an ingredient in green shiso paste, salad dressings, and fried preparations (tempura of green shiso leaf is a classic expression). Red shiso (aka-jiso) is less commonly used fresh and is primarily employed for its colour-giving properties: the anthocyanin pigments in red shiso leaves colour umeboshi red during pickling (in the traditional red umeboshi), and infuse red shiso vinegar and shiso-based liqueurs (yukari, dried ground red shiso flakes, are used as a rice seasoning of distinctly acidic and herbal character). The oil glands on the shiso leaf surface contain the essential oil perilla ketone, responsible for its characteristic aroma — when the leaf is torn or crushed, the oil releases explosively, making shiso one of the most volatile-aromatic herbs in Japanese cuisine.

Green shiso: complex mint-anise-metallic freshness with distinctive Japanese aromatic character; red shiso: more astringent, less aromatic freshness with a stronger colour-contributing anthocyanin content; yukari: concentrated, sour, herbal intensity from the dried form