Strawberry Shiso Citrus Water

If you're on pinterest, you've probably seen these detox water recipes floating around. Water infused with fruit and veggies, they are purportedly calorie-free with lots of health benefits. I'm not too sure about the detoxification claims, because infusing overnight might not cause any of the beneficial nutrients to make their way into the water compared to actually ingesting them, but plain water is important to the body to flush out toxins and promote healthy internal organ function so it's not 100% baloney.

Whatever the magical health claims, I looked at it as an excellent alternative to zero-calorie overly sweet abominations like diet sodas or drinks. I definitely need to drink more water, but somehow I find water to be too boring. I know I'm not alone even though that sounds crazy.

I had this idea in the back of my mind, but didn't act on it until tragedy struck. My poor little shiso sprouts got pounded in a freak hailstorm. Seriously, thundering hail in Southern California in the middle of March?! I didn't know if my shiso would survive, so I decided to make some tasty infused water with the more beaten-down sprouts, using the shiso instead of the more traditional mint for a nice Hapa version.

I am happy to report that the rest of the sprouts rebounded gloriously, and the smushed ones tasted great in the water. I made this originally more just to see what it would taste like, and it has since become a healthy alternative in my fridge. No worries if you don't have to find shiso sprouts, the ohba (shiso leaves) will work just fine.

Strawberry Shiso Citrus Water

1 liter of water
1/2 of a lemon, sliced thinly
1 lime, sliced thinly
4 strawberries, quartered
2 handfuls of shiso sprouts, or around 10 ohba

Prepare the fruit as directed, making sure to wash the outsides of them first to remove any surface dirt. Place the water in a large container and let infuse at least 8 hours or overnight. Strain and serve chilled. You can re-infuse the shiso and fruits a second time, but after that you will need to replace with fresh ones.

See Also:
Mugicha
Bubble Tea
Yuen Yeung