| Shiso | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Red shiso | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Perilla |
| Species: | |
| Variety: | P. f.var. crispa |
| Trinomial name | |
| Perilla frutescensvar. crispa (Thunb.) H.Deane | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Perilla frutescensvar.crispa, also known by its Japanese nameshiso (紫蘇), is acultigen ofPerilla frutescens, a herb in the mint familyLamiaceae. It is native to the mountainous regions of China and India, but is now found worldwide. The plant occurs in severalforms, as defined by the characteristics of their leaves, including red, green, bicolor, and ruffled. Shiso isperennial and may be cultivated as anannual in temperate climates. Different parts of the plant are used inEast Asian andSoutheast Asian cuisine.
The herb is known in Chinese aszǐsū (紫蘇 "purple perilla"), which is the origin of the Japanese nameshiso (紫蘇/シソ) and the Vietnamese nametía tô.[2] It is also calledhuíhuísū (回回蘇 "Muslim perilla") in Chinese. In Korean, it is known assoyeop (소엽) orchajogi (차조기). In ancient Japan, it was calledinue ("pseudo-perilla"), though this name is no longer used.
In English, it is sometimes called the "beefsteak plant", because purple-leaf varieties resemble the blood-red color of meat.[3] Other common names include "perilla mint",[4] "Chinese basil",[5][6] and "wild basil".[7] The alias "wild coleus" or "summer coleus" probably describes ornamental varieties.[7][8] Red-leaf varieties are sometimes called "purple mint".[4] In theOzarks, it is called "rattlesnake weed", because the sound the dried stalks make when disturbed along a footpath is similar to arattlesnake's rattle.[9] The Japanese nameshiso became part of the English lexicon in the 1990s, owing to the growing popularity ofsushi.[10]
The plant is sometimes referred to by its genus name,Perilla, but this is ambiguous as perilla could also refer to a differentcultigen (Perilla frutescens var.frutescens). To avoid confusion,Perilla frutescens var.frutescens is calledegoma ("perilla sesame") in Japan anddeulkkae ("wild sesame") in Korea.[11][12]
When red-leaf shiso was introduced into the West in the 1850s, it was given the scientific namePerilla nankinensis, after the city ofNanking.[13] This name is now less common thanPerilla frutescens.
It is suggested that the native origins of the plant are mountainous regions of India and China,[14] although other sources point to Southeast Asia.[15]
Perilla frutescens was cultivated inancient China.[16] One of the early mentions comes from theSupplementary Records of Renowned Physicians (名醫別錄Míng Yī Bié Lù), written around 500 AD,[17] where it is listed assu (蘇), and some of its uses are described. The plant was introduced into Japan around the eighth to ninth centuries.[18]
Red shiso became available to gardening enthusiasts in England around 1855.[13] By 1862, the English were reporting overuse of this plant, and proposingColeus vershaeffeltii[19] orAmaranthus melancholicus var.ruber made available byJ.G. Veitch as an alternative.[20] It was introduced later in the United States, perhaps in the 1860s.[21][22] Today, it is considered aweed orinvasive species.
Shiso grows to 40–100 centimetres (16–39 in) tall.[23] It has broad ovate leaves with pointy ends andserrated margins, arrangedoppositely with longleafstalks. Shiso seeds are about 1 mm in size, and are smaller and harder compared to other perilla varieties.[24][25] Seeds weigh about 1.5 g per 1000 seeds.[26]The plants are not frost hardy. InUSDA zones 11 and above, they grow as perennials.[27]
Severalforms of shiso exist.[28] They are defined by the color andmorphology of the leaves, though coloring is also found on the stalk and flower buds. Redness in shiso is caused by shisonin, ananthocyanin pigment found in perilla.[29] Ruffled red shiso was the first form examined by Western botanists, andCarl Peter Thunberg named itP. crispa (meaning "wavy" or "curly"). That Latin namecrispa was later retained when shiso was reclassified as a cultigen.
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Cultivated shiso is eaten in many East and Southeast Asian countries. Wild, weedy shiso are not suitable for eating, as they do not have the characteristic shiso fragrance, and are high inperilla ketone, which is potentially toxic.[citation needed]
Chinese cuisine also utilizes shiso, namedzi su (紫苏),bai su (白苏), orhuihui su (回回苏) in Chinese. It is sometimes used as a decorative ingredient, and is sometimes eaten to reduce grease (as withbarbecue). It is common practice to accompany fish and crab dishes withzisu, as it is believed thatzisu leaves can offset the toxins in seafood.[30]
| Red shiso (f.purpurea) | Shiso (紫蘇) |
| Akajiso (赤紫蘇) | |
| Ruffled red shiso (f.crispa) | Chirimen-jiso (縮緬紫蘇) |
| Green shiso (f.viridis) | Aojiso (青紫蘇) |
| Ōba (大葉) | |
| Ruffled green shiso (f.viridi-crispa) | Chirimen-aojiso (縮緬青紫蘇) |
| Bicolor shiso (f.discolor) | Katamen-jiso (片面紫蘇) |
| Variegated shiso (f.rosea) | Madara-jiso (斑紫蘇) |
Shiso (紫蘇) is extensively used inJapanese cuisine. Red, green, and bicolor varieties are used for different purposes.
Red shiso is calledakajiso (赤紫蘇). It is used in the making ofumeboshi (pickled plums) to give the plums a red color. The leaves turn bright red when steeped inumezu, the vinegary brine that results as a byproduct of pickling plums.[31][32] It can also be combined withumezu to make certain types ofsushi. In the summer, it is used to make a sweet, red juice. In Kyoto, red shiso and its seeds are used to makeshibazuke, a type of fermentedeggplant.[33]
Red leaves are dried and pulverized into flakes, then mixed with salt to make a seasoning calledyukari.[34] The wordyukari is an ancient term for the color purple, and was first used by Mishima Foods Co. to describe their shiso product, though the word is now used to refer to shiso salt in general.[35][36] Red shiso leaf flakes are a common ingredient infurikake seasonings, meant to be sprinkled over rice or mixed intoonigiri (rice balls).
Green shiso is calledaojiso (青紫蘇) orōba (大葉 "big leaf"). It is used to garnish noodle dishes likehiyamugi orsōmen, meat dishes likesashimi,tataki andnamerō, andtofu dishes likehiyayakko.Whitebait (shirasu) sashimi is often garnished with green shiso. Whole leaves are also used as receptacles to holdwasabi, ortsuma (garnishes). Leaves can also be battered on one side and fried to maketempura, and are served with other fried items.[37] Chopped leaves are used to flavor any number of fillings or batter to be cooked, for use in warm dishes. In Japan,pasta is sometimes topped with dried or freshly chopped shiso leaves, which is often combined with rawtarako (pollock roe).[38] Green shiso has even been used inpizza toppings in lieu of basil. In the summer of 2009, Pepsi Japan released a seasonal flavored beverage, the green colored Pepsi Shiso.[39]
Shiso seed pods (fruits) are calledshiso no mi, and are salted and preserved like a spice. They can be combined with fine slivers ofdaikon (radish) to make a simple salad.[40] Oil pressed from the seeds was once used for deep-frying.[31]
Shiso sprouts, buds andcotyledons are all calledmejiso (芽紫蘇), and used as garnish. Red sprouts are calledmurame, and green sprouts are calledaome.[41] Although not often served in restaurants,mejiso are used asmicrogreens.
Shiso flowers are calledhojiso (穂紫蘇), and used as garnish forsashimi. They are intended to be scraped off the stalk with chopsticks, and added as flavoring to the soy sauce dip. The flowers can also be pickled.
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InKorean cuisine, shiso is calledsoyeop (소엽) orchajogi (차조기). It is less popular than the related cultigen,P. frutescens (deulkkae).Soyeop is commonly seen as a wild plant, and the leaves are occasionally used as assam vegetable.[42] Red leaves are sometimes pickled insoy sauce orsoybean paste as ajangajji, or deep-fried asbugak with a thin coat ofrice-flour batter.[42]
In Laos, red shiso leaves are calledpak maengda (ຜັກແມງດາ). They are used to add fragrance tokhao poon (ເຂົ້າປຸ້ນ), arice vermicelli dish that is similar to the Vietnamesebún.
In Vietnam, shiso is calledtía tô.[43] Compared to Japanese shiso, it has slightly smaller leaves but a much stronger aromatic flavor. Vietnamesetía tô are often bicolored, with leaves that are red on the backside.
Tía tô leaves are used inVietnamese cuisine for salads, soups, or stir-fried dishes. The strong flavors are perfect for cooking seafoods such as shrimp and fish dishes. They are eaten as a garnish withbún (rice vermicelli). Leaves are also pickled.
Shiso's distinctive flavor comes fromperillaldehyde, which is found only in low concentrations in other perilla varieties, includingPerilla frutescens.[44][45] Theoxime of perillaldehyde,perillartine, is about 2,000 times sweeter thansucrose.[46] However, perillartine has a bitter aftertaste and is not soluble in water, and is only used in Japan as anartificial sweetener to sweeten tobacco.[47]
Wild shiso is rich inperilla ketone, which is a potent lung toxin to some livestock.[48] When consumed by cattle and horses, it causespulmonary edema, leading to a condition sometimes called perilla mint toxicosis. Effects on humans remain to be studied.[48]
The plant produces thenatural product perilloxin, which is built around a3-benzoxepinmoiety. Likeaspirin, perilloxin inhibits theenzymecyclooxygenase with anIC50 of 23.2 μM.[49]
Otherchemotypes includeeschscholzia ketone,perillene, and thephenylpropanoidsmyristicin,dillapiole,elemicin,citral, and a type rich inrosefuran.[citation needed]
Shiso contains only about 25.2–25.7%lipid,[50] but still contains a comparable 60% ratio ofALA.[51][52] Aromatic essential oils present arelimonene,[45]caryophyllene,[45] andfarnesene.[citation needed]
Bactericidal and preservative effects of shiso, due to the presence of terpenes such as perilla alcohol, have been noted.[37]
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In temperateclimates, the plant is self-sowing, but the seeds are not viable after long storage, and germination rates are low after a year.
The bar graph shows the trend in total production of shiso in Japan, as given by theMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries[53][54]
The biggest producer of shiso for the food market isAichi Prefecture, boasting 3,852 tons, or 37.0% of national production (2008 data).[55] Data for greenhouse production, which is a better indicator of crop yield, gives 3,528 tons for Aichi Prefecture, or 56% share of national production.[53][56] The difference in percentage is an indicator that in Aichi, the leaves are 90% greenhouse produced, whereas nationwide the ratio is 60:40 in favor of indoors over open fields.[57] In Aichi Prefecture, the city ofToyohashi produces the most shiso in Japan.[58][59] They are followed in ranking byNamegata, Ibaraki.
There seems to be a growth spurt for shiso crops grown for industrial use. The data shows the following trend for crops targeted for oil and perfumery.[60]
Green shiso was not industrially grown until the 1960s.[61] Production volume remained negligible until 1976. Several accounts exist regarding the beginnings of shiso production.
According to one anecdote, in 1961, afood co-operative fromShizuoka specializing intsuma (garnishes) began shipping green shiso to theOsaka market, where it grew so popular the nameōba (大葉 "big leaf") became the trade name for bunches of picked green leaves.[62]
Another account places the start of green shiso production origin in the city ofToyohashi, the foremostōba producer in the country.[58] It claims that the Toyohashi Greenhouse HorticulturalAgricultural Cooperative[a] experimented with planting green shiso around 1955, and started merchandising the leaves asōba around 1962. In 1963 they organized "cooperative sorting and sales" of the crop, and achieved year-round production around 1970.[53]
In the 1970s refrigerated storage and transport became available, bringing fresh produce and seafood to areas away from farms or seaports.[53] Foods like sashimi became daily fare, and so too did sashimi garnishes like green shiso.
The wordōba was originally a trade name and was not listed in the popular dictionaryShin Meikai Kokugo Jiten as "green shiso" until its 5th edition (1997).[63]
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