Shiso or “shiso-no-ha” is a leafy plant much used in Japan (hence the inaccurate name, “Japanese basil”), where two main types, green “ao-jiso,” and red “aka-jiso,” have different uses in cooking. The leaves are almost round, but with a sharply pointed end which creates a heart shape, and crisply cut serrations around the edges.
History and mythology
The plant is a native of Burma, China, and the northern regions of India, particularly the Himalayan mountains, but it has been cultivated in Japan for centuries and is now rarely used in its countries of origin.
Cultivation
Like members of the mint family, shiso likes to grow in semi-shade in medium- rich moist soil. Propagate the plant by root division, or take cuttings in spring.
Harvesting and processing
Pick the spearmint-flavoured leaves and use them fresh. The foliage may be dried in several different ways. Cut the leafy stalks and hang them in a warm airy place until dry; spread them on airy racks until crisp; or dry in a microwave oven. Store the leaves in airtight containers.
Various uses
Culinary
Occasionally fresh shiso leaves are available in highly specialized Japanese food shops, but you are more likely to find the salted and pickled varieties.
Use the fresh leaves, either whole or chopped, for garnishing. The leaves are battered and fried as a vegetable m tempura and are used in sushi. The attractive seed pod stems, when in flower, are also used by themselves as a garnish. The red leaves of aka-jiso, available only in midsummer in Japan, are employed in the processing of “umeboshi”, the pickled sour plum so popular in Japan. They are also pickled in their own right, and are served as accompaniment to rice. The red color of an the leaves has earned the herb the additional name “beefsteak plant.”
