Perilla
Perilla frutescens
Shiso. Green or red toothed leaves used in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cooking. Distinct from basil and from ‘beefsteak plant’ weedy perilla in the U.S. Southeast, which can be the same species gone feral.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
Also called: shiso, beefsteak plant
What it is
Shiso. Green or red toothed leaves used in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cooking. Distinct from basil and from ‘beefsteak plant’ weedy perilla in the U.S. Southeast, which can be the same species gone feral.
From the existing encyclopedia
Perilla is a dried botanical traded as cut leaf, flower, seed, or root for tea and seasoning. Buy food-grade quality from suppliers who publish lot and origin; avoid mystery bulk without COA for sensitive items. Complements lemon, lime, or vinegar acidity in dressings and marinades. When substituting dried Perilla for fresh, use about one-third the volume and bloom in fat or hot water before adding acid or dairy.
Edible portions
- leaves
- flower spikes
- seeds (in some traditions)
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. Annual; self-sows
- Light. Sun to part shade
- Soil. Moist, rich
- Planting. Easy; can weed. Pinch.
- Harvest. Leaves anytime; red types color umeboshi and vinegars.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Wrap sashimi, garnish noodles, red shiso vinegar
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
- Integrated from the existing aaaLifetime / quantum-biohack encyclopedia corpus (unique text preserved where it was not boilerplate).
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class A. Strong page: distinctive plant facts plus practical growing or kitchen use.