Shiso a.k.a Perilla...

Assalamualakum and Salam Sejahtera to all…

Vernacular Name: Shiso, Perilla, Purple Mint, Japanese basil, Wild Coleus, Sesame leaf, Beefsteak plant…

Botanic Name: Brassica Juncea

Family: Lamiaceae (Mint)

 Organically grown, green and red/purple shiso...

Funny fact

I never knew Shiso was Perilla until one of ‘I am Herbed!” readers ask me to write about Perilla, then I googled it.  The funny thing is, we have been using Shiso but only we never knew it was also known as Perilla.  I went asking the Japanese Cuisine Chef (who is a Pilipino) about Perilla but he didn’t know it, in fact he ‘never heard of it’ he said, while Shiso was actually in the chiller (refrigerator).

Origin

The plant was believed to be originated in East and South Asia, although it is widely used in Japan, Korea, China and Vietnam.  Shiso is the Japanese name for Perilla and they even called the green  aojiso, aoba (green leaf), or aoshiso while the purple/red they called akajiso.  That makes two types of Shiso.  If you are a Sushi fan, you probably have tried green shiso as garnish for Sashimi and the purple shiso as ingredient used in Umiboshi or Umishiso Maki.  The Vietnamese called shiso tia tõ and used as garnish in rice vermicelli dishes called bùn.  The Korean named shiso as deulkkae or tûlkkae which mean ‘wild sesame’ and has many used in their cuisine. Their Perilla also a little bit different than the Japanese shiso in appearance.  The Chinese doesn’t used perilla so much in food but used it in their medicine.

Content

The essential oil extracted from the leaves of perilla consists of a variety of chemical compound, depending on species.  The most abundant, comprising about 50% to 60% of the oil is perillaldehyde which is most responsible for the aroma and taste of perilla.

Uses in food

Shiso that I used in the kitchen are mostly imported from neighboring country, Malaysia and they came in small plastic pot, organically grown, so, they’re always fresh and growing too.  I used shiso as herbs in fritters (tempura), vegetable in fried noodle or noodle soup, garnish on presented dishes, replacement for basil, ingredients for salad, pizza topping and poaching water. 

Tips: when using perilla for soup/noodle soup, it is recommended to add them at the last phase of cooking, to let it boiled or steep just for a few minutes.

 Picked shiso ready to be used...

Medicinal Uses

The Chinese traditionally used Shiso as medicine and has been shown to stimulate interferon activity (protein agent that prevents bacteria or viruses in our immune system).  Shiso is also used as treatment for such ailments like indigestion, colds, malaria, cough and cholera. 

Other uses

The red/purple leaves are probably more interesting for its coloring capabilities range from a pale pink to an intensive red wine hue.  Perilla oil is obtained by pressing perilla’s seed, which content 35 to 45 % of perilla oil.  In parts of Asia, it is used as edible oil that is valued more for its medicinal benefits than its flavor.  Perilla oil is a very rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid.  The component in perilla’s oil as drying oil has been used for paints, varnishes, linoleum, printing ink, lacquers and for protective waterproof coatings on cloth.  The oil can also be used for fuel.

 I used shiso as pizza topping instead of basil...

I hope you enjoy reading...

Regards,

Chef Nash...

Read more...