Fresh shiso juice is very easy to make and has a lovely flavour & is really healthy.
Originally from Japan it’s also know as Japanese basil juice or Perilla juice.
There are lots of ways you can use it, for example:
- Blended with sparkling or still water over ice
- Or used as part of a cocktail.
The recipe below shows how to use the leaves to make shisho syrup but I will also be adding recipes like shiso furikake at a later stage (type of seasoning for rice, chicken, etc)
For price & to order the leaves visit the UK Amazon or the USA Amazon store
On this page you will find: (quick links)
- How to make Shisu juice
- 5 key questions:
- Red Shiso syrup example uses
- How to make Shiso lemonade
- How to make Shiso gin cocktail
How to make Shiso juice
Ingredients:
- 15 large Fresh Japanese basil leaves (Shiso leaves)
- 150 g Fresh cane sugar
- 2 Lemons (used for it’s juice)
- 500 ml water
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 Juicer – for the lemon juice
- 1 Jug & sieve
Instructions
- Pick the basil leaves from the plant and wash them
- Add water into saucepan and bring to the boil
- Add the basil leaves and simmer for 5 minutes
- Pour the contents of the saucepan through a sieve into the jug – squeezing as much of the moisture from the leaves as possible. And pour back into the saucepan
- Add the sugar, whisk to dissolve and simmer for 30 minutes
- Pour into a storage jar or bottle
- Squeeze the lemons for juice and add into the storage jar or bottle – and watch it change colour !!!
5 Key questions about Shiso Juice:
1. Is Shiso juice good for you?
Well, Yes and No
Japanese basil (Shiso) is very, very healthy and great as a base for lemonade.
Its full of vitamins like Vitamin A, C & K as well as having calcium and iron.
As a result most nutritionist will recommend it as it can help reduce oxidative stress. In addition it can help with digestion and help soothe stomach discomfort.
However – do note that the recipe does add quite a bit of cane sugar. Which does contain calories.
2. Where can I get Shiso leaves?
They are not easy to find but there are 3 options you can try:
A – Grow Shiso from seed
The picture on the right shows Japanese basil grown from seed. It’s very easy to do, a lot of fun and the cheapest option.
B – Buy a plant
The next option is to buy a plant online (they are not very often for sale in garden centres). A lot quicker and will give you an almost instant supply of fresh leaves.
C – Buy dried Perilla / Shiso leaves
The last option (by far and away the easiest) is to buy the leaves online. They are almost often dried – when using dried leaves you will need to ‘re-hydrate’ them, the best option is to simmer a bit longer. About 10 minutes.
For price & to order the seeds or leaves visit the UK Amazon or the USA Amazon store
3. What does shiso juice taste like – can I change the flavour?
If your shiso juice tastes too strong, earthy, or herbal, you can adjust it in several ways:
- Add citrus: Lemon, yuzu, lime, or grapefruit juice brightens the flavour and balances the herbal notes.
- Increase sweetness: Honey, simple syrup, or sugar can soften the astringency.
- Dilute it: Mix with still or sparkling water to make it lighter and more refreshing.
- Add fruit flavors: Apple juice, grape juice, berry juice, or pomegranate pair particularly well with red shiso.
- Use ginger: A little fresh ginger adds warmth and complements the herbal character.
- Serve cold: Chilling the juice well often makes the flavor seem less intense.
- Blend with tea: Green tea or hibiscus tea can create a more complex drink.
If you’re using red shiso juice, a popular combination is red shiso, lemon juice, and sparkling water, the acid also helps bring out the vibrant pink-red color.
4. How can I use Shiso syrup?
Even though the title of this recipe is called Japanese Basil (Shiso/Perilla) Juice, the recipe below shows how to make Shiso syrup – as a base for juice or lemonade.
A bit further down the page is ‘step by step’ advice how to use it to make lemonade, as well as how to use it in a cocktail.
Shiso syrup is very versatile. For example you can use it in:
4a – Drinks
- Sparkling shiso soda: Mix 1 part shiso syrup with 4–6 parts sparkling water.
- Lemonade: Add shiso syrup to fresh lemon juice and water.
- Cocktails: Use it in place of simple syrup in a gin and tonic, mojito, vodka soda, or whisky highball.
- Iced tea: Stir a little into green tea, black tea, or hibiscus tea.
- Hot drinks: Add to hot water for a soothing herbal drink.
4b – Desserts
In addition you can drizzle it over items like Vanilla ice cream, Yoghurt, etc. It combines lovely with fruits like strawberries or citrus fruit – why not mix it with some whipping cream for a bit of extra flavour?
4c – Main meals
It’s the green shiso that is most often used with savoury main meals – but using the Japanese basil syrup as a glaze over grilled chicken or even salmon works very well.
5. What’s the best way to store shiso syrup?
The best way to store the syrup is in a fridge, where it will last about 2 weeks.
I’ve found the safest way is to use resealable glass jars, which I tend to sterilise before use. All you do is:
- Preheat the oven to 160 to 180°C
- Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water. Rinse the jars but do not dry them
- Put the jars on a baking tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes
- At the same time soak the lids in boiling water for a few minutes. Take the jars from the oven and let cool on a kitchen towel.
- Pour the syrup into the jars and store in a fridge
- For price & to order visit the UK Amazon or the USA Amazon store
Red Shiso syrup example uses
1 – How to make Japanese basil (shiso) lemonade
All you do is combine
- Some ice cubes
- 1 part syrup
- 4 parts cold sparkling water.
For example put some ice cubes into a glass and then add 50 ml syrup and 200 ml sparking water
2 – How to make Japanese basil (Shiso) gin cocktail
You will need
- 50 ml Dry Gin
- 30 ml Red Japanese Basil (Shiso) syrup
- 2 lemons – for it’s juice
- 1 Japanese basil (shiso) leaf – for decoration
- Ice cubes
Add all the ingredients (except for the leaf) into a cocktail shaker. Shake well for 30 seconds.
Put some ice cubes into a cocktail glass and pour the contents of the shaker on top. Lastly decorate it with a leaf and enjoy!
Japanese Basil (Shiso/Perilla) Juice
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Juicer
- 1 Jug & Sieve
Ingredients
- 15 Fresh Japanese basil leaves (Shiso leaves)
- 125 g Cane sugar – granulated
- 2 Lemons – for juice
- 500 ml Water
Instructions
Cook the Japanese basil leaves
- Pick the basil leaves from the plant and wash them
- Add water into saucepan and bring to the boil
- Add the basil leaves and simmer for 5 minutes
- Pour the contents of the saucepan through a sieve into the jug – squeezing as much of the moisture from the leaves as possible. And pour back into the saucepan
Make the syrup
- Add the sugar, whisk to dissolve and simmer for 30 minutes
- Pour into a storage jar or bottle
- Squeeze the lemons for juice and add into the storage jar or bottle – and watch it change colour !!!
Video
The country recipe challenge.
This recipe is part of my country recipe challenge, where I am trying to find 1 recipe from each country in the world.
The easiest way to keep updated is to follow me on either my Instagram or Facebook page
Have you made the recipe?
Would love to hear what you thought of it
More information
For price & to order Japanese basil (Shiso/Perilla) seeds or leaves visit the UK Amazon or the USA Amazon store
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