Cucumber Salad with Perilla (Shiso) Leaves

Plus, how Chinese cuisine uses perilla

Hi there!

Like the rest of the world, this week we’re making a cucumber salad. If you’re looking for more inspiration, here are a few recipes I regularly make: Maangchi’s Korean cucumber salad, Alison Roman’s version, a peach-cucumber combination, and my Chinese-style smashed cucumber with a spicy sour dressing + sesame dressing.

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If you’ve spent any reasonable time on social media, you’ve likely bumped into a few trends: Brat green, the apple dance, and the sliced cucumber salad in a container.

As a cucumber salad enthusiast, I can only endorse this trend. When I don’t pull out the cleaver, a sharp mandolin is my go-to tool for making a quick salad: just eyeball some soy sauce and vinegar, chili oil and you’re done in 3 minutes. This time, I want to share a version made with a special herb: perilla leaves.

smashed cucumber salad with perilla

Perilla leaves are also known as shiso in Japanese (usually a smaller variety) and as zi su (紫苏) or su zi ye (苏子叶) in Chinese. The Vietnamese variety I got from is called tiá tô and is green on one side and purple on the other. Just a sniff and you’ll be captivated by its unique, intense aroma—some describe it as having notes of licorice and star anise.

I had always regarded perilla as a non-Chinese ingredient, as I most often encountered it in Korean barbecue or sushi. However, perilla leaves are actually native to southern China and have been consumed as a medicinal herb for centuries. In ancient China, the leaves and seeds were used to combat heat, soothe bloating, and cool the body, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. The leaves were toasted and brewed into a tea, known as 紫苏饮子, or 熟水, which was a popular street drink during the Southern Song Dynasty. In a Ming Dynasty book on healthy lifestyles¹, perilla leaves were used in a variety of ways: marinated with cucumber and eggplant, added to plum and papaya jam, and cooked with carp.

perilla leaves from Berlin’s Dongxuan Center

In regions like Hunan province, perilla is widely used in fish and seafood dishes to counterbalance fishy flavors and add aroma. It’s similar to a Sichuan local herb called huoxiang (known as Korean or Indian mint), which is also part of the mint family and often cooked with carp. My friend Dandan from the region told me that it’s often paired with cucumbers. In the capital city, Changsha, there’s a popular street snack made with marinated crunchy peaches, young ginger, and perilla (紫苏桃子姜). In northeastern China, perilla leaves are used to wrap a sticky rice bun filled with bean paste (known as 粘耗子).

Perilla, bayberry and ginger snack, screenshot from the documentary Cheers to the City. I tried this at home but didn’t turn out so well as I don’t have younger ginger and peaches were too soft

Perilla leaves are right in season now, making them quite affordable in Vietnamese and Korean markets. You can make a simple syrup with perilla to flavor your summer drinks, or add it to a fresh tomato salad. Perilla works wonderfully in noodle soups and as a flavorful wrap for grilled meats!

Here are two ways to use perilla in cucumber dishes, inspired by Hunan-style cooking. Of course if you can’t find it, you can use herb like mint or cilantro, or try the other smashed cucumber recipe.

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Smashed cucumber salad with perilla leaves (紫苏拍黄瓜)

Serves 2

• 1 English cucumber or 4 Persian cucumbers (350 g / 12 oz)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 5-8 perilla leaves

• 1 Thai chili

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp white rice vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Use a cleaver or rolling pin to smash the cucumber, then remove the seeds and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl, season with 1/4 tsp salt, and let sit for approx. 30 minutes. Drain the excess water.

2. In the meantime, clean the perilla leaves, stack and roll them tightly into a cigar, and thinly slice. Mince the garlic and Thai chili.

3. Add minced garlic and chili, soy sauce, white rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and sliced perilla to the cucumber. Mix until well combined. Serve immediately or let marinate for 30 mins.

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Recipe for stir-fried cucumber with perilla (紫苏煎黄瓜)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber (350 g/ 12 oz)

• 8-10 perilla leaves

• 1 Thai chili

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• More salt to season

Instructions:

1. Slice the cucumber at an angle into thick 0.5 cm slices. Mince the garlic and Thai chili. Clean and dry the perilla leaves, stack and roll them tightly into a cigar, and thinly slice.

2. In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat and add 1/8 tsp salt. Then, add the cucumber slices and fry for 3-5 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden.

3. Add the Thai chili and garlic and fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar, and season with more salt as needed. Quickly mix and serve.

1. Zunsheng Bajian by Gao Lian,《遵生八笺》高濂