Japanese Yukari Shiso Salt and Purple Perilla Preservation

Japan — red shiso in umeboshi production: documented Heian period; yukari as a commercial product: Marumiya corporation (1970s); shiso cultivation in Japan: 8th century via Korean Peninsula import

Akajiso (赤紫蘇 — red perilla, Perilla frutescens var. crispa) and its applications represent one of Japan's most versatile and aromatic preservation ingredients. The bright magenta-purple leaves of red shiso are used primarily in two ways: as the colouring and flavouring agent in umeboshi production (the salt-fermentation of ume plums releases anthocyanin from the red shiso, turning the brine and plums their characteristic crimson) and as yukari (ゆかり) — dried, salted red shiso flakes used as a condiment sprinkled over rice. The yukari production process: fresh red shiso leaves are salted and massaged until they soften and release their liquid (extracting the bitter umeboshi-staining compounds in this first squeeze), then added to umeboshi brine, where they re-absorb the flavoured liquid and turn crimson. These crimson shiso leaves are then dried, crumbled, and salted to create yukari — an intensely fragrant, slightly sour and salty condiment. Green shiso (aojiso — or simply shiso in Tokyo dialect) is a separate variety used fresh as a garnish, in salads, and as a wrapper. The aromatic compound responsible for shiso's characteristic fragrance is perillaldehyde (perill-aldehyde), which also has antimicrobial properties — explaining its use as a garnish for raw fish (traditionally placed between sashimi pieces to inhibit bacterial transfer).

Intensely aromatic, slightly sour-savoury, herbal-minty-anise complexity — one of the most distinctive aromas in Japanese cooking; no substitute exists