This recipe is a by-product of making umeboshi, which you can read here.
One of the by-products of making umeboshi at home is the red shiso leaves that were used to dye the umeboshi their classic red colour (unless you opted for without it). One of the benefits of these red shiso leaves however, are that at the same time they’ve been colouring the umeboshi, they’ve been brining and fermenting in the salty juice of the unripe Japanese plums (ume/梅). On their own, they’re far too astringent and salty to consume, but are traditionally ground into a powder to use as a rice seasoning called yukari (ゆかり).
When your umeboshi are dried in the sun after they’ve been brined sufficiently, the now salted red shiso leaves are also typically sun dried at the same time. Sometimes, when the umeboshi are packed back into their jars to further age, the shiso leaves are added on top of the umeboshi to act as a layer of anti-mold growing protection.
However, the shiso leaves can actually be separated and ground up in a Japanese suribachi (擂鉢) grinding bowl and surikogi (擂粉木) pestle. The stems of the shiso leaves can sometimes be quite hard to grind up, leaving large bits in the mortar. To obtain a fine yukari powder, the ground leaves are sieved through a strainer and the remaining large bits are placed back into the mortar with additional shiso leaves and ground again. This is repeated over and over again until all the shiso leaves are ground, and the remaining large bits are discarded.
If you made your umeboshi with a low salt percentage of around 7-9% of the ume’s weight in salt. You can add a little salt to the dried shiso leaves to increase the saltiness, but I actually prefer yukari made from shiso leaves used to colour low salt umeboshi, as you get more shiso flavour rather than just saltiness.
If you made umeboshi without using red shiso leaves but still want to make yukari, you can retain the liquid leftover from making the umeboshi, which is known as ume vinegar (umezu/梅酢) and soak fresh red shiso leaves in them for 3 to 5 days, before squeezing them out and drying them in the sun to grind into your own seasoning. Some recipes call for adding one third of the red shiso leaves’ weight in salt before grinding them, but I personally find this too much salt as ume vinegar itself can be quite salty.
Homemade Yukari Rice Seasoning
Leftover red shiso (perilla) leaves used to colour umeboshi
Traditional method
Assuming you haven’t dried the shiso leaves yet, squeeze out any liquid from them and lay them out on any tray or bamboo colander to dry. Ideally you’d want to spread out the leaves to let them dry quickly and grind easier, but it might be hard as they have a tendency to be slightly clumpy at this point. Leave the tray out in the sun until the perilla leaves become dry and brittle, which can be as short as 1 day in very hot and dry places, or a couple of days in more humid and cloudy places.
Add the dried shiso leaves to a mortar and pestle and grind into a powder. To achieve a fine powder, don’t add too many leaves at the same time to leave ample room for a large grinding motion. Pass the powder through a sieve to remove any large remaining bits. Add the large bits left in the sieve back into the mortar and add more shiso leaves and repeat the same process until all the leaves have been ground up. During the last sieve, discard any large bits remaining unless you don’t mind your rice seasoning quite course. Store in a dry bottle and sprinkle as rice seasoning.
Modern kitchen method
After squeezing out any excess liquid, spread out the leaves onto the plate and microwave for 30 seconds until the leaves are dry and brittle, if not, microwave for an additional 10 seconds and check. Repeat until the leaves are brittle. This can be done in an oven at a low temperature as well, at around 80°C for 2 to 3 hours until the leaves crumble easily.
Add all the leaves to a food processor and blitz until a fine powder is created. Store in a dry bottle and sprinkle as rice seasoning.
If you live in a dry place with very little humidity, the yukari powder can last almost indefinitely, though it will lose its potency over time. If you live in a humid environment, I recommend storing the yukari with a packet of food desiccant if you can find it.
Yukari shiso salt is powdered dried purple shiso leaves mixed with salt, a tangy and colorful seasoning. It's often available in Japanese markets, but if you have trouble finding it, substitute another flavored Japanese salt like matcha salt (green tea salt) or furikake, seasoning for rice that comes in many varieties.
This seasoning consists of nothing but ground up purple shiso leaf and seasoning, allowing the natural herby flavour of the shiso to sing out. This furikake is best sprinkled on rice or spaghetti.
Steps to preserve your harvest by making dried salted shiso leaves. Pick large leaves and rinse them. Dry with tea towel or leave on dish rack to dry. You need to layer the leaves with salt and put weight on them.
FAQ. What can I use instead of furikake? If you don't want to make your own and you don't have any on-hand, you can just crumble up some nori (seaweed) and add some sesame seeds. I also use togarashi as a substitute.
Shichimi Togarashi, also known as the Japanese Seven Spice Blend, is essential to Japanese cooking. It contains red chilli pepper, Sansho pepper, roasted Mandarin orange peel, sesame seeds, ground ginger, seaweed flakes, poppy seeds, and nori.
Derived from the Japanese language, it holds multiple meanings that reflect the values and aspirations of its origin. The name Yukari is a compilation of several Japanese words, including save, scent, reason, and beautiful.
Making furikake is as simple as toasting sesame seeds, mixing with crushed nori, and combining with salt and sugar. We also list a variety of optional add-ins that can take the flavor up a notch! Lasts a long time. Once made, this seasoning will store in an airtight jar for up to 6 months.
As you can see from its origin story, furikake is high in many vital nutrients. As previously mentioned, that includes calcium, but it's also high in protein, iodine, iron, and other minerals. Considering the combination of health benefits and depth of flavor, it's easy to see why furikake is so popular!
The product's name is 'Yukari (ゆかり)' and it's a Furikake (Rice Seasoning). You sprinkle it over cooked rice or mix with cooked rice. These purple crumbles are dried Red Shiso leaves, that are most commonly used to pickle Ume (similar to Apricot) fruits. 'Yukari' is a super popular Furikake in Japan.
Raw leaves are delicious tossed into salads or used wherever you might add savory green herbs. Or you can cook them up like tender spinach — steamed, sautéed or tempura-fried.
The herb's anti-inflammatory characteristics are used to treat everything from asthma, arthritis, and eczema. It has also been used as a herbal treatment in Japan for generations. Shiso leaves are a fantastic, healthful addition to salads, soups, and stews since they are rich in calcium and iron.
Up to five days fresh. Shiso leaves pair very well with soy based sauces and dressings. In Japan they are a traditional accompaniment to raw fish (particularly sashimi), used in salads, or fried as tempura. Shiso leaves can also be pickled (how to quick pickle).
As a unique type of Japanese seasoning furikake comes in a wide range of flavours, including wasabi furikake (with dried wasabi as a main ingredient), nori komi furikake (containing tiny pieces of seasoned nori seaweed), shiso furikake (made from seasoned, dried, and crushed red perilla leaves), and salmon furikake ( ...
Cajun seasoning – this seasoning is a good substitute for Old Bay. It's generally a blend of spicy peppers, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and black pepper. You can add a little celery salt for a closer version of the real thing.
Red leaves are dried and pulverized into flakes, then mixed with salt to make a seasoning called yukari. The word yukari is an ancient term for the color purple, and was first used by Mishima Foods Co. to describe their shiso product, though the word is now used to refer to shiso salt in general.
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