Value Village ／ Food & living
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Basil, coriander (sold in Japan as pakuchī, パクチー), ōba (大葉, the perilla or shiso leaf), negi (Japanese long onion) — aromatic leaves are used in small amounts and easily left over. Here we sort out fresh versus dried, how to store them, and how Japan's yakumi (薬味, fresh condiment herbs) culture differs from herb use elsewhere.
| Item | Fresh herbs | Dried herbs |
|---|---|---|
| Aroma | Rich in volatile aromas. For finishing and eating raw | Volatiles reduced; add early in stews and braises |
| Conversion | — | About one-third of fresh (1 tablespoon dried ≈ 3 tablespoons fresh) |
| Storage | Ōba, coriander, negi, parsley: wrap in damp kitchen paper, keep in a container in the fridge, 1–2 weeks ／ Basil: stand in water at room temperature (it blackens in the fridge) ／ Rosemary, thyme: fridge, 2 weeks | Airtight, dark, room temperature, 6 months to 1 year (see our spices article) |
| Leftovers | Chop and freeze (ice-cube tray with water or oil), in oil (fridge, 1–2 weeks), pastes such as pesto (freezer) | — |
| Japanese yakumi | Ōba, myōga (ginger bud), negi, ginger, wasabi, mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley), kinome (young sanshō leaf): raw, at the finish, in small amounts. Dried forms are hardly used | — |
[Verify] The conversion ratio is a general guide from cookery and herb associations. Check the botulism warning against Food Safety Commission of Japan materials.
Dried herbs are concentrated — use one-third — but the volatile aromas are gone, so they suit slow cooking, while fresh is for finishing.
Basil turns black in the fridge. Stand it in water at room temperature. Ōba and coriander go in the fridge, kept damp.
Chop and freeze (ice-cube tray), keep in oil (fridge, short term), or make a paste (freezer). Drying (parsley, rosemary) also works.
Oil with no oxygen is exactly the condition in which botulinum bacteria multiply. Fridge for 1–2 weeks, or freeze.
They carry soil, insects and microbes. Wash well under running water and pat dry before use. Especially coriander and basil eaten raw.
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https://www.fsc.go.jp/sonota/botulinum.html
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/seisan/ryutu/yasai/
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/www1/houdou/0903/h0331-1.html
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Some ingredients need thorough cooking. Eat raw only foods that are sold for raw consumption. If you have allergies, check the ingredients.
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