Have you ever tried shiso leaf? It’s one of these beautiful leaves that are often part of Japanse food. But eat it or not? Is shiso Leaf decoration or tasty?
To be honest for quite some time we never ate it. Until recently we tried and instantly fell in love with this tasty leave.
Why Did We Not Try This Earlier?!
The reason behind writing about whether shiso Leaf is decoration or tasty is, we just watched someone not eat it and it broke our heart.
We just went for dinner and the people next to us (all foreigners), pretty much ate around it. We fought the urge to take it off their plates, as it felt like it was such a waste. But we controlled ourselves. Sure not too long ago we did the same.
We guess we often get a bit shy with unfamiliar things, right? But we do think, especially in Japanese cuisine, everything has a place and a reason to be there. So if it’s on your plate (and not made out of plastic) it is there to be eaten.
But What Is This “Shiso Leaf”?
Actually, if you google it you might find it under “perilla leaf” in English. It comes from the mint family and most of the time it is on our plates to give us a refreshing flavor. It is often served with fish, rice or tempura.
To be honest, the taste is a bit hard to describe. We would almost say it is a bit sour? Some say it has citrusy notes. I guess you will have to try it for yourself, but do believe us it is very pleasant!
And of course, as with so many leaves and herbs, it also comes with multiple health benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties, contains a large amount of calcium and iron and is meant to help with asthma and eczema. All making it a great addition to your meal.
How To Use It?
And it is not crazy expensive, we bought a bunch of about 10 Shiso leaves for about 95¥ in the supermarket. So if you live in Japan try to use it in your kitchen. We added it to a tomato and mozzarella salade and it was great! Or simply, use it with rice dishes or if you want to single portion some appetizers on it. It is also great with chicken. Just saying. The way of using it is endless…
For more ideas on how to cook with it, check out “Morning chores” 100 Shiso Recipies!
Obsessed Or Not?
Pretty obsessed! So our summary to the question, whether shiso Leaf is just decoration or tasty is (drumroll): It’s definitely tasty! And good for you too! Make sure you give it a go the next time it finds a way onto your plate and let us know what you think!
If you are in Tokyo try Sushi no Midori, they have a “Shiso Leaf and Plum Maki”, we absolutely love it!
