Manor Farm
Fringford
Bicester
Oxfordshire OX27 8DP
Shiso can be planted outside in late spring, once the danger of frost has passed.
It is similar in appearance to a tall purple coleus.
The leaves are strongly scented and are reminiscent of cumin in flavour,
the flavour increases in strength as the plant grows larger.
It can grow quite tall in a warm sheltered position and it is a good thing to pinch out the tip of the plant at about 60cm,
so that it bushes out.
It makes a fine specimen plant in the centre of containers, or within planting schemes in the flower borders.
Both the leaves and flowers can be eaten.
The leaves are used as wraps in Japanese cuisine in a similar way to vine leaves in Greece,
and they are given various fillings generally based on rice, chicken or pork.
The leaves can also be used raw in salads and with raw fish, bean curd and dipped in batter to be cooked as tempura.
The flowers make a pretty edible decoration to any dish.
Method:
The deep purple colour from the leaves can be used as a natural colouring when preserving fruit.
As you can see this is a herb which is ready for lots of culinary experimentation!