My family loves our summertime drinks and we often have jugs of ume juice, cold brew hojicha, and iced buckwheat tea ready on the kitchen countertop to keep us refreshed all day. Aka Shiso Juice (赤紫蘇ジュース) is another favorite of mine. With a vivid rose color, this herby drink will energize you even in the muggy, hot Japanese summer. Now that I have a lot of aka shiso in my backyard (Thanks to JOC fan Bobby in Cupertino!), I made a batch of Aka Shiso Juice to stay cool & healthy.
What is Aka Shiso Juice
Aka Shiso Juice is a juice made of aka shiso, which is red perilla leaves. You basically make the juice with homemade Aka Shiso Syrup and (sparkling) water. It’s mildly minty, fruity, refreshing and sparkling all at once. Aka Shiso Syrup is made with 4 ingredients – red perilla leaves, water, sugar, and apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar).
What Are Aka Shiso (Red Perilla Leaves)
Red perilla leaves have a unique taste. Some may describe it with a mildly minty and earthy aroma. If you like umeboshi or red/green shiso, you are familiar with the taste already. It could be an acquired taste for many non-Asian palates. Unlike green shiso leaves, red shiso leaves are mostly used for coloring purposes, mainly for making umeboshi and red pickled ginger.
Health Benefits of Aka Shiso
In addition to its deep, beautiful merlot color, Aka Shiso (red perilla leaves) are also known for their many great health benefits:
Anti-inflammatoryAntioxidantAntiviralAntibacterialHigh in ironCalcium and caroteneGood for the respiratory tract and those with asthmaImproves immune functionExcellent for stomach aches and digestive upset
How to Make Aka Shiso Syrup
Ingredients You’ll Need
Since everyone has a different number of aka shiso plants in the yard and each year may yield an irregular amount, I’ve made my recipe flexible and easy to adjust.
Aka shiso leavesSugar (for making syrup, AND this is for preservation purpose)Apple cider vinegar (lemon juice works too)
Yep, that’s it! Very easy, and you really have to give it a try!
Overview: Cooking Steps
Rinse and boil aka shiso leaves.Drain to reserve the cooking liquid.Add sugar and apple cider vinegar to the cooking liquid (this is the syrup).Let cool slightly, then put the syrup in a jar.Store in the fridge for up to 6-12 months!
2 Important Tips
Don’t reduce sugar – I know, it’s tempting to reduce the amount of sugar, but if you plan to preserve the syrup for a long time, try not to adjust the amount too much. Sugar helps to keep the syrup safe for a long time without mold growth.Use mild vinegar – The purpose of the vinegar is to impart the syrup with a bright purple color. You will see the ‘magic’ as soon as you add the vinegar to the shiso cooking liquid. The darker purple changes to a beautiful brighter purple. You won’t taste the vinegar much as long as you use a mild vinegar like apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or lemon juice. Adjust the amount accordingly.
How to Make Aka Shiso Juice
There are few ways to enjoy Aka Shiso Juice. Some use alcohol to dilute the syrup and make a cocktail with it, while I enjoy drinking the juice with ice water, club soda, sparkling water, etc. The syrup to water ratio is really up to you, but I recommend 1:1 or 1:2.
What to Do with Used Aka Shiso
You may wonder what to do with the used red shiso leaves. Don’t worry, we are not wasting anything. We usually make Yukari Japanese rice seasoning with the used shiso and I included the recipe below. If you have more fresh red shiso leaves, you can look for Japanese ume plums and make Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums). Sign up for the free Just One Cookbook newsletter delivered to your inbox! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest updates.
