Shiso and perilla: Everything you need to know

Bright, sharp and zingy, shiso and perilla are two varieties of the same species of Asian herb that have been used in Northern Asian cuisine for hundreds of years for their fresh flavour and natural antibacterial properties.

What are they?

Shiso and perilla are the spicy Asian cousins of mint. They are different varieties of Perilla frutescens. Other varieties are used in kitchens in China, Vietnam and India. The leaves, which have a serrated edge, are shaped like the spade on a deck of cards. They can fit in the palm of your hand, and come in different hues of green, red and purple.

They contain an amazing number of aromatic compounds, including limonene, which gives a citrus flavour, compounds also found in mint and basil, and others that smell like almonds, wood and honeysuckle. For a leafy green, they also have a decent whack of glutamic acid, which add to a dish's sense of deliciousness.

Why do we love it?

When he was growing up in Yamagata, Japan, Shin Kato, of Melbourne kaiseki restaurant Ishizuka, ate the shiso his grandmother grew with pickled vegetables. "Shiso is like no other herb," says Kato. "It has a sourness that cuts through the intense umami of wagyu, but also has umami of its own, which adds to the sense of deliciousness."

He loves this culinary irony and plays on it with a dashi jelly with shiso, and layers shiso and lobster in his ultra-seasonal Japanese menu. "It can also bridge the deficit of flavour in delicate white-fleshed fish," he says.

In Sydney's Surry Hills, Soul Dining executive chef Daero Lee says: "We call perilla 'kkaennip' [in Korea] and we pickle it with garlic and soy sauce to make kkaennip jangajji – delicious, salty, sour and so much flavour." It's served as a side dish alongside rice. Lee loves to use finely sliced fresh perilla in salads and coleslaw, but it's also an important part of his ssam barbecued lamb served with lettuce leaves and perilla for wrapping. "We also sub out mint for perilla in a mojito – very tasty."

How do you use it?

• Shiso has a strong but ephemeral punch and a little goes a long way.
• Tear up a few shiso and mint leaves, mix through a leafy salad and dress with sesame oil and soy sauce.
• Finely shred shiso leaves, mix through a mignonette dressing and spoon over freshly shucked oysters.
• Make a tartare of tuna with a little wasabi mayo and place a teaspoon-sized portion on a shiso leaf, wrapping the leaf around the tuna to eat.
• Make a salad topped with kingfish sashimi finished with shiso shoots or try an heirloom tomato salad with shallots and shiso with a yuzu dressing.
• Make a nori sandwich roll for the lunch box and fill with shredded shiso or make a crab ravioli dressed with shiso sauce, also known as ao-jiso, available in Japanese grocers.

Where do you get it?

Shiso is available in specialty greengrocers, Asian grocers and some farmers' markets. It is a soft-leafed herb and should be wrapped in damp cloth or paper towel and stored in the fridge, preferably in an airtight container. Use within a few days.

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