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Shiso

Shiso is an aromatic herb with a fresh, minty flavor, used as a garnish, wrap, seasoning, or pickled accompaniment.

Shiso — illustrative ingredient image

About Shiso

Shiso is a strongly aromatic culinary herb from the perilla group, used mainly for its leaves and tender shoots. Its foliage may be green or red-purple. It is used as a garnish, wrap, sushi accompaniment, salad component, or flavouring for cooked foods, and may also appear salted, pickled, or dried as a seasoning.

Fresh shiso has a fresh, mint-like and slightly spicy aroma; individual varieties can also suggest citrus, basil, or anise. Chopped leaves distribute their fragrance through rice, noodles, sauces, and pickles, while whole leaves can hold small portions of food.

It is sold fresh, salted, pickled, or dried. Green and red-purple leaves differ in appearance, and red-purple shiso is used to colour and flavour some preserved foods. Cooking, chopping, drying, or preserving changes the leaf’s shape, texture, fragrance, and contribution to a dish.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where shiso appears

2 linked foods

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Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for shiso

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Shiso

English

shiso leaf (raw)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Shiso nutrition & diet

Shiso nutritional value

Perilla, "Shiso", leaves, raw — MEXT 06095

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the explicitly named reference form.

Calories
32kcal
Protein
3.9g
Carbs
7.5g
Fat
0.1g

Per 100 g edible portion. Values use MEXT 2023 with March 2026 corrections; the English food name is matched by food code from the official English edition. Carbohydrate is total carbohydrate by difference. Values in parentheses in the source are estimates reported by MEXT. This reference does not cover other preparations or brands.

Portions & preparation

Specify the shiso variety and edible form, such as fresh leaves, flowers, sprouts, dried seasoning, or pickled preparation. Reference the portion actually eaten rather than discarded stems or garnish left on the plate. Salt, vinegar, oil, and sugar in preserved shiso products belong to the preparation, not plain herb.

Compare the right form: Match the exact shiso species or variety and form—fresh, dried, pickled, flower, or sprout—with the edible portion identified.

Diet considerations

Shiso is a plant-derived herb. Compatibility changes when it is pickled, salted, sweetened, oil-packed, battered, or incorporated into a sauce. Fresh leaves used as garnish or wraps differ from products containing fish, meat, dairy, eggs, or cereal ingredients, so the preparation and accompanying filling must be checked.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically compatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically compatible
The plain form fits the conventional paleo food groups. Added ingredients and individual interpretations can differ.
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2023 supplement, corrected March 2026 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .