June 24, 2017

I’m So Into Shiso

I’m So Into Shiso

Shiso (perilla frutescens) is one of my favorite annual herbs. It’s much more commonly seen and used in Asia than it is in the US, and for the longest time I had been hunting for the green variety called ohba（大葉) in Japanese. I finally found it two years ago and have been cultivating them ever since!

The purple variety is now commonplace and has readily self seeded throughout Long Island. I often see landscapers and homeowners alike pulling it up and throwing it out, cursing this little purple plant for encroaching upon their territory, not knowing what a delicious and valuable herb it really is.

I have the purple kind dotted on my back lawn, but will have to move them to a better location lest someone mows over it. I had a single plant I lovingly saved from last year that gave these darling offspring, and I’ll be damned if I let them get destroyed before I have a chance to harvest them.

The green, red/purple, and Korean variety differ a bit in taste, with the red/purple tasting similar to the K-variety (which is red and green). The purple tastes strongly like what you would think pickled plums taste like, and indeed it is used to make umeboshi, giving the Japanese treat it’s signature pinkish color. The Korean variety is often marinated in soy sauce and made into a kimchi, which is wrapped around bite size mounds of rice, especially in winter. The red kind is also used to steam seafood, and helps give a nice fragrance to crab and shrimp when they can otherwise be a bit fishy. I love them wrapped fresh around barbecued beef or pork, and are delicious as garnishes.

 I let most of the ones in my garden grow wild, and then transplant some of each type into a flowerpot that I take inside when temperatures begin to get to freezing. This way I’ll have some deep into winter!

Many people have probably seen the green variety without knowing what it really is and I actually think it’s a different species altogether given that the taste is quite a bit different than the other two. It just hasn’t been classified as such yet. It’s more citrus-y and tangy. The large leaves are often used as garnishes for sashimi platters, and while most people ignore it, I use it to wrap around the last piece of sashimi as a delicious finish to the meal. It pairs so well with cool, cold salads, and carpaccio or tataki or tartars. As a garnish, it elevates chilled tofu swimming in a delicate dashi-soy stock to high levels and gives you a very refreshing feeling.

I didn’t have much success sprouting them from seed and not that many people grow it on the east coast so it’s somewhat of a rarity. However, the successes I did have led to the ones that are now permanent, loving residents in my garden. I even gave a plant to my parents who put it in the ground in their front yard, but which was dug up and stolen by someone (who obviously knew what it was), braving their “beware of dog” sign and the three mongrels behind it. Thankfully I had enough to spare, and replaced their plant with another that they guarded closely until they too, had an established patch.

The purple variety does well in the shade and the sun, and the other two do well in part shade or sun too. They are annuals, and self seed so if you have a patch going, it should sustain itself, the seeds surviving Long Island winters just fine (USDA zone 7). It is okay with poor, sandy soil, and seems to be quite drought tolerant when established like most herbs. The purple variety is especially hardy in the shade, and provides a lovely splash of color in what may otherwise be a barren area.

 Purple shiso poppin’ up on my lawn.

If you feel like it’s invasive, simply pinch off the flowers when they start blooming (they can be pickled too) and you should be able to control it. I don’t have a problem with them because my family eats a lot of it during the summer time, but for those who are unused to it in their diet, it may become overwhelming.

If you aren’t sure whether or not you’d like it, head to your nearest sushi restaurant and ask for one. Try it with your sushi. I haven’t met a person who doesn’t like it yet!

Plant Profile

Scientific Name: Perilla frutescens

USDA Hardiness Zone: N/A (Grown as an annual)

Annual, leafy herb that self seeds readily. Purple variety is full shade tolerant. Drought tolerant, but grows better with regular watering. Tolerant of poor, sandy soil. Does not have many pests. Has established itself in many places in the northeast US, including Long Island, NY. Grows 2-3 feet if given even space, light, and water. Used in a variety of Asian dishes.

Recipes with Shiso

Here are the recipes on my blog that utilize shiso, either as a central player or as optional garnish!

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Filed Under: annual, full shade, full sun, herb, partial shade, shiso