Shiso

About Shiso

Shiso, also known as perilla, is an Asian culinary herb from the mint family. In perfumery, it is used as a green herbal note with mint-like freshness, leafy bitterness, citrus lift, and a lightly peppery bite.

Scent Profile

The scent is green, fresh, spicy, leafy, and slightly aromatic. It is less cold than mint, less sweet than basil, and more culinary than many abstract green notes. Shiso can suggest crushed leaves, yuzu peel, damp herbs, and a bright peppery snap that wakes up the top of a fragrance.

Use in Perfumery

Perfumers use shiso with citrus, yuzu, grapefruit, green tea, musk, woods, aquatic notes, spices, and clean florals. It can bring a Japanese or East Asian freshness without becoming sugary or floral. In fruit compositions, it adds bite; in musks, it gives the clean surface a green edge.

Did You Know?

In cooking, shiso often changes a dish with just a few leaves. It behaves similarly in fragrance. A small shiso accent can redraw the outline of a perfume, making it feel greener, sharper, and more alive without turning it into a purely herbal scent.