Japanese Shiso Varieties: Ao-Jiso, Aka-Jiso, and Perilla Applications

Japan — shiso cultivation recorded from at least the Heian period; considered a quintessentially Japanese herb despite its Southeast Asian origins; now ubiquitous across Japanese culinary culture

Shiso (紫蘇 — Perilla frutescens var. crispa) exists in two primary forms in Japanese cooking: ao-jiso (green perilla, also called 'ōba') and aka-jiso (red perilla). The two varieties are related but have distinct culinary roles. Ao-jiso is the aromatic herb used raw as a sashimi garnish, in salads, wrapped around miso-grilled preparations, torn over cold soba, made into shiso chiffonade for rice dishes, and used in tenpura. Its flavour is clean, peppery, anise-like, with a distinctive freshness that bridges Japanese and Southeast Asian herbal registers. Aka-jiso (red/purple perilla) has a more intense, slightly astringent flavour and is primarily used for colouring and flavouring umeboshi (the red pigment of traditional umeboshi comes entirely from aka-jiso) and for making shiso juice (a purple-red summer drink). Chirimen jako (small dried anchovies) fried with ao-jiso and sesame is a classic flavour trio. Shiso tempura requires the largest, freshest leaves — the visual beauty of the deep-fried whole leaf is as important as the flavour. Shiso also has potent antimicrobial properties (rosmarinic acid and perillaldehyde) that historically functioned as a preservative in sashimi presentations.

Ao-jiso: clean, peppery, anise-like freshness with a cooling, bright quality; aka-jiso: more intense, astringent, peppery-medicinal; together their flavour anchors the sensory experience of Japanese summer cuisine