Shiso

Shiso is the Japanese name for the culinary form of perilla, an aromatic herb in the mint family native to the mountainous regions of China and India and now grown worldwide. It comes in green, red, bicolor and ruffled-leaf forms, with a flavor combining notes of cinnamon, basil, anise and citrus that make it one of the seven principal flavorings of Japanese cuisine, used fresh in sushi, salads and tempura and pickled in various preparations. The same plant is used across East and Southeast Asia under other names: in Korea, its leaves, called kkaennip, are marinated in soy sauce, garlic and chili, and in Vietnam its leaves are served fresh as a fragrant garnish for noodle soups and spring rolls.