Profile: Shiso

Plant family:  Lamiaceae (mint)
Scientific name:  Perilla frutescens

Shiso is a common Asian culinary herb.  In Hawaii, you've probably seen it in umeboshi, furikake, tempura, musubi, and salads.  I've grown some green shiso and will make it available for sale for as long as I have it.  There are red and mixed red and green varieties as well.  People have described green shiso as having a more cinnamon-like flavor and red shiso having a more anise-like flavor.  I like both.  Unfortunately, none of the red shiso seeds I planted ever germinated, so the green shiso will have to do for now.

How to store:
For short-term storage (a couple days or so), keep leaves on the stem and wrap the stem end with a wet paper towel.  Store in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge.
For longer term storage of a large amount of leaves, try the method described here.

How to prepare:
Shiso can be good just chopped up and added to a salad.  Individual leaves can also be battered and fried to make wonderful tempura.  I'm going to experiment with dehydrating shiso leaves to make furikake or to sprinkle into some dishes while cooking.

If you're interested in other applications of shiso, how about pesto?  Pesto is most commonly made with basil, which is also in the mint family, but many have substituted shiso for basil.  Here's a green shiso pesto recipe to try:  https://poormankitchen.com/recipes/sauces/shiso-pesto/

If anyone's adventurous and wants to try out this Japanese pizza, please share how it goes!