Is perilla edible?

Edibility and culinary use Perilla shows up a lot in East Asian cuisine, especially Japanese and Korean dishes. It's a very delicious vegetable that tastes great in salads, soups, or stir-fried dishes. The leaves have a pleasantly unique taste that's more like a combination between mint and fennel.

eattheplanet.org - Perilla, a Delicious and Nutritious Asian Edible - Eat The Planet

Do you smell when losing weight?

And while you will most likely lose weight, it might also change the way your sweat smells. When you burn fat, your body produces a chemical that...

Last updated Oct 28, 2018

Why I am not losing weight on Saxenda?

Official answer. It takes time to lose weight with Saxenda. In adults, it may take about 8 weeks before you start to see a significant weight loss...

Last updated May 25, 2022

Promotion

Perilla (Perilla frutescens) Green Variant Foliage

A message from EatThePlanet.org: "We are happy you found us! We strive to be informative and accurate. Enjoy what you find here! Take a look at our new downloadable pdf eBook A Complete Guide To Foraging . We put a lot of work into this eBook and are very excited to share it with you." - Joe Forager(Owner) Commonly seen as an invasive weed in the Western world, perilla (Perilla frutescens) is actually a prized herb hailing from Asia. It’s native to mountainous areas in Southeast Asia and India and is widely cultivated in East Asia as a popular crop. As a hardy and self-sowing plant, it can be found in just about any sunny areas like roadsides, streambanks, and even in your own lawn. It’s part of the mint family and there are different Perilla variants. The Korean variant has broad and rounded leaves, while the Shiso variant has smaller leaves and is more popular in Japan.

Edibility and culinary use

Perilla shows up a lot in East Asian cuisine, especially Japanese and Korean dishes. It’s a very delicious vegetable that tastes great in salads, soups, or stir-fried dishes. The leaves have a pleasantly unique taste that’s more like a combination between mint and fennel. The taste pairs extremely well with rice, seafood, grilled meat, chili, soy sauce, garlic, and tofu. So, keep that in mind while planning your next meal with perilla. This wild edible tastes best fresh but they can also be dried or pickled for later consumption. Koreans usually add it to kimchi by marinating the leaves in a mixture of soy sauce, chili, and herbs. Dried leaves can also be steeped in hot water to make a soothing, minty tea.

Green and Purple Perilla (Perilla frutescens) Leaves

Additionally, you can also eat other parts of this plant. The flower spikes can be cooked in soups or deep fried to make delicious tempura. Perilla sprouts can also be cooked and eaten like a potherb. Lastly, the seeds can be toasted and used as a spice or as a source of oil. Though you should only eat perilla oil cold and never use it for frying. Because when heated, the oil can release lung toxins.

Are 6 hours of sleep enough?

For most of us, six hours of sleep is not enough for one night. Scientific evidence indicates the average sleep need is around 8 hours and 40...

Last updated May 2, 2020

How can I reduce my body fat?

Here's how to whittle down where it matters most. Try curbing carbs instead of fats. ... Think eating plan, not diet. ... Keep moving. ... Lift...

Last updated Jun 26, 2019

Promotion

Health benefits

People have been using perilla as a medicinal herb since the ancient Chinese era. It has shown some antioxidant, antiallergic, and anti-inflammatory properties. This herb is mainly used to treat asthma, cough, chest congestion, and nausea. This herb is also very rich in vitamin C and contains a good amount of some minerals, such as calcium and iron. Then, while it doesn’t contain any protein, it’s a rich carbohydrate and fiber source for our body. Eating perilla makes you feel full longer and promotes healthy digestion. Additionally, it can also prevent diabetes and heart disease.

Cultivation

With bushy foliage and a lovely array of colors, perilla is a great addition to your garden, both as an ornamental plant and as a food source. Moreover, this plant can attract pollinators, like butterflies, to your garden. Perilla isn’t difficult to cultivate, maybe even too easy. In fact, this plant spreads so easily that it may take over your whole garden if you let them.

Perilla (Perilla frutescens) Purple Variant Leaves

As a summer annual plant, it thrives best in warm, humid climates. It can grow in any type of soil, but perilla prefers moist, well-drained soil. A sunny location would be best, but it can tolerate some shade. This plant requires a medium amount of water, be careful not to flood the soil. Before sowing, soak the seeds in water for 24 hours to ensure germination. Then start sowing the seeds in early spring, they should take a week or so to germinate. By summer, there will be an abundance of leaves ready for you to harvest.

Cautions

What is a phantom poo?

Dr. Islam gives us three definitions of the elusive ghost poop: 1) the urge to poop that ends up only being gas, 2) a poop so smooth that it went...

Last updated Oct 24, 2022

Why am I struggling to lose any weight?

At the most basic level, not reaching your weight loss goal can occur when calorie intake is equal to or higher than calorie use. Try strategies...

Last updated Oct 23, 2022

Promotion

Perilla has been shown to cause dermatitis on some people. So, it’s wise to wear gloves while handling this wild edible. Also, there’s not enough reliable information on how perilla consumption may affect pregnant and breastfeeding women. So, stay on the safe side and avoid consuming it if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Lastly, this herb is toxic to animals, including cows, horses, and even dogs. It can cause pulmonary edema, respiratory problems, and even death in animals. So, be careful not to feed any to your pets.

Conclusion

Despite being very popular in the East, perilla is very underutilized as a wild edible in the West. Perhaps, it’s time for a perspective change. With its unique taste and its many edible parts, this “invasive weed” can actually be used as a valuable and delicious source of nutrients. Moreover, this self-seeding plant spreads and grows quickly. That means you can harvest an abundance of leaves and seeds and not worry about killing off the population. So, take a look around your house, see if you can find any perilla growing, and try tasting this delicious wild edible.

---------------Writen by Cornelia Tjandra

Leave your email address so you don't miss any of our wild edibles info! Many of our readers find that subscribing to Eat The Planet is the best way to make sure they don't miss any of our valuable information about wild edibles.

See our privacy policy for more information about ads on this site

eattheplanet.org - Perilla, a Delicious and Nutritious Asian Edible - Eat The Planet

What time should I stop eating to lose weight?

Some experts advise finishing food consumption in the early evening, as metabolism slows down after this time. However, this is not feasible for...

Last updated Nov 21, 2020

How many miles should I walk a day?

Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that...

Last updated Apr 2, 2019

Promotion

What BMI is considered attractive?

(27) found that the most frequently selected ideal body had a BMI of 19.79, closely followed by an underweight ideal of 18.26. Ahern et al. (28)...

Last updated Nov 19, 2020

Promotion

Does apple cider gummies help you lose weight?

Some people believe that apple cider vinegar gummies can help you lose weight by reducing your appetite and increasing your metabolism. However,...

Last updated Oct 25, 2018