What's Red Shiso?

Akajiso (赤紫蘇) in Japanese, red shiso or purple shiso, also called perilla in the west, is a plant of the mint family (see the photo above on the left). It is a quintessential herb for Japanese cuisine and used in many ways.

Red shiso is often used to color foods and for pickling.

This dish above called shibazuke(柴漬け) is common pickled vegetables made with red shiso leaves, and it is thought to have been made for more than 800 years since the Buddhist monk in Kyoto first made it. Red shiso helps preservation as it contains antibiotics and preservative components, as well as adding an impressive color.

Umeboshi with Red Shiso

A typical Japanese food, umeboshi (pickled Japanese plums) are often pickled with red shiso leaves.

Umeboshi being pickled in a jar

When the pickled umeboshi are removed from the jar ,the shiso leaves are also taken out and dried, then crushed to eat.

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Read about Ume more from here

Seasonal Ume (梅,Japanese Apricot or Plum ) Preserving

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How to Eat the Dried Red Shiso

Traditionally, the crushed red shiso leaves have been served to garnish rice, but nowadays it's also served on salads ,pasta, and added to frying butter, etc. It will surely enhance your dish, but it's difficult to describe what the flavor is like, so I'd like you to try it.

As it has already got some saltiness and sourness in it, we can use it like flavored salt.

We have this product in our shop.

Iijima Seitarou Shoten KN004: Yukari - Sundried, salt-pickled shiso leaves

These shiso leaves are pickled with ume vinegar, which is the leftover from umeboshi making, and then dried in the sun, and finally crushed. It is made with care in a small factory with no additives added. It has an authentic and nostalgic flavor for me.

You can sprinkle it on sandwiches.