Perilla frutescens (Shiso)

Perilla frutescens

Family: Lamiaceae

Common names: Shiso, Beefsteak Plant

It is an erect, often profusely branched, annual to perennial plant that can grow from 30 – 200cm tall. Shiso is a very popular food in the Orient, though often considered strange to Western palettes. The plant is also widely used in traditional medicine in eastern Asia and is the source of a good quality oil. It is commonly cultivated in the Orient for its various uses and is sometimes used as an ornamental in sub-tropical bedding schemes in the temperate zone, where it is valued especially for its purple-leaved cultivars. Edible young leaves and seedlings – raw or cooked. The flavour is strange to western palates at first, some people detecting cinnamon, others coriander or citrus. Seedlings are added to salads, older leaves are used as a garnish or flavouring. Older leaves are also salted and used as a condiment for tofu and as a garnish for tempura. Leaves from purple cultivars are used to colour preserved fruits. The leaves can also be dried for later use. The leaves contain about 3.1% protein, 0.8% fat, 4.1% carbohydrate, 1.1% ash.

Sowing instructions: Surface-sow or only lightly cover the seed. The seed germinates best at 20°c, though it also succeeds at slightly lower temperatures. Germination is usually quick.

Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: November 2024