GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / fresh · green · spicy
Shiso
Category
GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory
fresh · green · spicy
Origin
Volatility
Heart Note
Botanical
Perilla frutescens
Appearance
Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
China, Japan, Korea
Pyramid
Heart
Minty-herbal, slightly cinnamic, with a particular anise-basil twist. Japanese perilla — the herb that tastes purple and smells like mint crossed with cinnamon.
Bright, minty-herbal with a cinnamic-anise twist and a camphoraceous background. More complex than spearmint, less sweet than Thai basil, with a perillaldehyde note that reads as simultaneously citrusy and minty. The red variety adds a subtle spicy warmth. On skin, it resolves to a clean, dry herbal character.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Bright minty-herbal burst with cinnamic edge
After a few hours
After a few hours
Dry herbal warmth, camphoraceous and clean
After a few days
After a few days
Faint herbal ghost, dry and quiet
The Full Story
Shiso (Perilla frutescens var. crispa) is a Japanese aromatic herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae). The two main varieties — green shiso (aojiso) and red/purple shiso (akajiso) — have distinctly different chemical profiles. Green shiso is dominated by perillaldehyde (a monoterpene aldehyde), while red shiso contains more anthocyanins and has a more complex, slightly cinnamate character.
The smell is difficult to place if you have not encountered the fresh herb: a bright, minty-herbal top note with an unusual cinnamic-anise twist and a faintly camphoraceous background. It is more complex than spearmint, less sweet than basil, with a distinctly East Asian aromatic character that does not map onto Western herb categories.
Shiso has gained traction in niche perfumery as part of the broader interest in culinary and East Asian ingredients. The essential oil is produced in small quantities in Japan and provides a unique herbal note that no Western herb can replicate.
Perillaldehyde, the dominant aroma compound in shiso, is roughly 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose by weight. It was investigated as a sweetener but never commercialized due to its strong herbal flavor.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Steam distillation of fresh Perilla frutescens leaves produces a pale yellow essential oil rich in perillaldehyde (40-55% in the perillaldehyde chemotype). Other chemotypes produce oils rich in perilla ketone, citral, or limonene. Production is primarily in Japan and Korea. Yields are approximately 0.3-0.5% from fresh leaves.
Shiso is a top note that provides an unusual herbal character distinct from European aromatics. It bridges mint, basil, and cinnamon families without belonging fully to any. Used in modern green, herbal, and East Asian-inspired compositions. The perillaldehyde content gives it a citrusy-minty edge that works well with yuzu, hinoki, and other Japanese ingredients. Also useful as an unexpected herbal accent in aquatic and green compositions.
