Herb
Green Shiso
A tier
Green shiso (ao-jiso) is the bright green Japanese perilla leaf—ruffled edges, scent of mint-basil-citrus, essential under sashimi, in umeboshi packing, and as tempura. Milder and fresher than red shiso’s sharper tannin. Tear rather than over-chop; heat in tempura keeps perfume. The default sushi-bar shiso leaf in most markets.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
CocktailSaladSashimi GarnishTempuraUmeboshi
Traits
Classic ShisoFresh AromaticGreenGreen LeafJapanese CulinaryMint Basil CitrusSashimi Classic
History
JP
Japanese kitchens standardised green shiso for fish and pickle use.
JP
Commercial herb farms supplied green shiso to urban markets.
Sushi globalisation made green shiso a recognised garnish abroad.
Chefs used green shiso in non-Japanese salads and cocktails.