Homemade Shiso Dressing

Thursday Dinner

- Leftover Pulled Pork

- Tofu Marinated with Red Sauce

- Salad with Shiso Dressing

Shiso (Perilla) is definitely in Top 3 favourite herbs of mine.  Green Shiso is very common in Japanese cooking so I always thought it was a Japanese herb but I have heard Vietnamese use it too.  Thanks to Asian farmers in Sydney, I can buy red Shiso at my local market!

I always missed Shiso ever since I moved to Australia because of its distinct flavour which cannot to be substituted by anything else.  It is difficult to describe the flavour of Shiso for me since I only know it as Shiso but I guess it is somewhat citrusy and herby.  Definitely neither cinnamon nor coriander.  Most likely nothing you have tasted before if you haven't already.

I made a dressing using red Shiso leaves.  I didn't write it down the recipe but I used 20g red Shiso leaves, 70g onion, 70g apple, 1 package of dried bonito flakes(5g), soy sauce and vinegar.  I like to make Shiso dressing without any oil.  The dressing was really thick but dressed lettuce beautifully and I liked that way.  Husband liked it, too.  I will definitely make it again.