Shiso Tea
August 6, 2026
About this Recipe
This can be served warm or cold, unsweetened or sweetened. The recipes make about 4 cups, so it’s lovely to chill and have as a seasonal iced tea. Add lemon juice for a bit of added brightness, if that’s what your taste buds prefer.
This recipe calls for 8 cups of packed fresh red shiso leaves, around 150 grams (or 5.3 ounces). If you have one shiso plant, you have more than enough to make this recipe. However, if you do not have a plant, this can feel like a daunting amount. Check with your local farmers market or Asian grocery first but if you cannot source it there, I found an online retailer that sells it by the bunch. I have estimated, considering they sell their bunches with stem weight, that you may need 2-3 of their 5.6oz bunches to get the correct amount of leaves for the recipe. While I wrote the recipes with fresh shiso in mind, they can also be made starting with dry leaves and I have even seen powdered forms of it.
Makes: 4 cups
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Total: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 8 cups packed red (or green) shiso leaves (150 grams)
- 3/4 cup raw sugar, optional
- Lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a large covered saucepan. Remove the lid, using tongs, gradually add the 8 cups shiso leaves, gently stirring the leaves to wilt, adding more until all the leaves are submerged in the water. Adjust the heat to medium then simmer the mixture uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Unsweetened: Strain the mixture into a medium heatproof bowl or jar, using the tongs to squeeze and press the excess liquid from the leaves. Taste and add lemon juice, as needed. Serve warm or cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator. Serve chilled over ice. Sweetened: Strain the mixture into a medium saucepan, using the tongs to squeeze and press the excess liquid from the leaves, and set aside for another use or discard. Whisk in 3/4 cup raw sugar and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off heat. Taste and add lemon juice, as needed. Serve warm or cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator. Serve chilled over ice.
