Herb. No. 146 · Lamiaceae
East Asian perilla, a summer annual that has gone weedy in parts of North America.
Native · East Asia
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Shiso
Perilla frutescens
The ruffled mint of Japanese and Korean kitchens — cumin-basil-citrus in a leaf that pickles plums and wraps rice.
Shiso is an East Asian mint. Green is the sushi leaf; red is the umeboshi dye. Traditional use is as a culinary aromatic and a summer green. Culinary leaf is the path. It self-sows with ambition. Beefsteak plant, the American feral cousin, is the same species gone weedy.
Flavor
Cumin, basil, cinnamon, citrus peel. Red is earthier; green is louder.
Parts used
Leaf · Flowering tops · Seed in Korean cooking
Helpful
- Easy, generous, beautiful
Cautions
- Self-sows
- Red stains fingers and umeboshi