Japan — shiso cultivation ancient; yukari production from umeboshi-pickling surplus established in traditional Japanese farmhouse cooking
Shiso (perilla, Perilla frutescens) is Japan's most versatile aromatic herb — a large-leafed annual with a distinctive complex flavour that combines basil, mint, anise, and something uniquely shiso that resists comparison. Two varieties are used in Japanese cooking: ao-jiso (green shiso, the most common) and aka-jiso (red shiso), with very different applications. Green shiso is used fresh as a garnish, cut into chiffonnade for salads and tofu preparations, whole as a wrapper for sashimi, tempura-battered as a tempura component, and minced into miso and dressings. Its fragrance is volatile and disappears with prolonged heat — it should be added at the end of cooking or used raw. Yukari is dried and salted aka-jiso leaves ground into a powder — the dried red shiso used to colour and flavour umeboshi during the pickling process, which is then dried after the pickling season and ground. Yukari is sprinkled on rice, mixed into onigiri fillings, and used as a seasoning with both its distinctive herbal fragrance and its vivid purple-red colour contributing. The flavour difference between fresh ao-jiso and dried yukari is complete: fresh shiso is bright, herbal, and cooling; yukari is intensely dried-herb aromatic with a slightly sharp, fermented quality from the umeboshi pickling process. Both are used as furikake (rice-seasoning sprinkle).
Green shiso has a complex, immediately distinctive fragrance — anise-basil-mint-something uniquely itself — that refreshes the palate and lifts heavy flavours. Yukari has a deep, slightly sharp dried-herb quality with the added fermented complexity of its umeboshi-pickling history.
Green shiso's volatility requires late addition or raw use — heat destroys its aromatic compounds rapidly. Red shiso during umeboshi pickling season should be salted and squeezed to remove bitterness before adding to the pickle vat. Yukari's colour bleeds into other ingredients when wet — use as a finishing sprinkle rather than incorporating into batters or sauces where colour bleed creates visual problems.
Shiso chiffonnade technique: stack 5–6 leaves, roll tightly, slice very finely — the thin cuts maximise surface area for flavour release while maintaining visual appeal. For tempura shiso: batter only one side of the whole leaf, fry batter-side down only until the batter just sets — overcooking creates a soggy, oil-heavy result. The batter on one side against the raw shiso on the other is the intended eating experience. Yukari onigiri: mix yukari generously into freshly made warm rice before forming — the heat activates the dried aromatics. For a simple, excellent seasoned rice: 1 tablespoon yukari per 2 cups cooked rice, mixed thoroughly.
Adding green shiso to long-cooked dishes where all volatile aromatics will dissipate. Using yukari as a direct substitute for fresh shiso — they have completely different flavour profiles. Neglecting to salt and squeeze fresh red shiso before umeboshi use — the bitterness creates an unpleasant off-note in the pickle.
Japanese Farm Food — Nancy Singleton Hachisu