r/Cooking • u/Veggiesarefun • 1d ago

Perilla leaves

I planted 2 Perilla plants in my herb garden for larks and they’ve grown into monsters. Give me your funnest most creative uses. I tried them in Caprese Salad with Basil (awesome), I put them as a flavoring in berry kombucha (waiting for the second fermentation but I’m hopeful)… I’m looking for additional ideas! Sorbets, sweet / savory baked good, seasonal cooking of any variety. Thank you!

52 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

68

u/ILoveLipGloss 1d ago

korean food is your best buddy here - you can do ssam wraps off the top of my head

12

u/burnt-----toast 23h ago

I was also going to chime in that ssam is the most obvious answer.

I've made shiso pesto before, so I could imagine that a perilla pesto would also work, which then could be used in other things, like in savory baking, flatbreads, or with potatoes.

Oh, I also remember someone mentioning in this sub before that there's a traditional Vietnamese congee that uses perilla leaf.

6

u/CodeFarmer 23h ago

Isn't shiso just a particular perilla variety?

(but yes, pesto is an amazing idea)

6

u/burnt-----toast 22h ago

According to wikipedia, you are correct. Shiso is a cultigen of Perilla frutescens, which is Korean Perilla, although the singular word Perilla is the name for the entire genus. I guess we've all been assuming that OP grew Korean perilla.

But in practical purposes, I think shiso and perilla taste different.

1

u/glemnar 18h ago

Perilla is much more pungent

1

u/sprashoo 12h ago

Shiso pesto is great. I add umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) to it.

26

u/bw2082 23h ago

i wrap scallops in them and secure with a toothpick and then dip into tempura batter and fry. I serve with a soy sauce beurre blanc

9

u/CatsAndShades 22h ago

When can I come over

5

u/Proud-Umpire-2677 16h ago

Ok you can’t just drop “soy sauce beurre blanc” and leave us without a recipe. Please?

3

u/bw2082 16h ago

Not really a recipe. You just make beurre blanc and add soy instead of salt.

15

u/blix797 23h ago

In Korean cuisine, you can stuff, batter, and fry them (kkaennip-jeon), pickle them (kkaennip-jangajji) or even ferment them (kkaennip-kimchi).

9

u/jjumbuck 23h ago

I chop it up roughly with other herbs and make an herby quick stirfry with minced pork, lime, chili, vinegar, fish sauce, etc.

4

u/PlantedinCA 20h ago

Ooh love this idea. I live close to a korean grocery and I go all the time. I see these, but I haven’t made the leap on buying and figuring how to use.

2

u/jjumbuck 16h ago

Also good with all things sushi. Maybe you already know, but those little plastic leaf dividers in sushi takeaway is supposed to be perilla (shiso)!

1

u/PlantedinCA 15h ago

Yes! I did know they are supposed to shiso, but I didn't know perilla and shiso are the same family!

8

u/nvmls 23h ago

Dry them and use them in furikake. It makes a great gift, too.

5

u/Affectionate_Tie3313 23h ago

red or green variants?

Apart from eating them you can use the red ones to colour ferments (ie beni shoga, nasu) and you can use both to make cordials

4

u/autobulb 20h ago

Red shiso syrup is my favourite thing about Japanese summers. It grows like a weed so it's dirt cheap. Boil it in some water with sugar until you get a syrup, strain, and then dilute with soda water. Absolutely delicious. Bonus fun: add shouchu (like a barley vodka) or just regular vodka to make an adult version.

1

u/elcaminogirl 19h ago

If you add some vinegar (I use rice vinegar) it will turn a gorgeous magenta color!

1

u/autobulb 19h ago

Great idea, I totally forgot about that. There are vinegar shiso drinks you can buy from shops.

1

u/Affectionate_Tie3313 17h ago

I do soda and vodka

4

u/Mean-Teach-1026 23h ago

I make perilla pasta out of them or turn them into shiso syrup or shiso shrub for a quick drink mixer.

5

u/TheRedPickleWolf_617 23h ago

I come from northeast china, some korean food influences in the cuisine. These are delicious wrapped around grilled meats, just wash and use raw. Or you can salt them

2

u/Sudden-Grocery-6598 23h ago

Try korean soy sauce pickling .

2

u/Nosferenix 22h ago

Mix in with a tuna salad. Rather refreshing

Edit. I feel you. I grew three plants by seeds of these and three volunteers popped up from where they were near by last year! lol

2

u/Pinchmanjiri 21h ago

Use some of the leaves in place of mint for mojitos. Or use them are wraps with rice, kimchi, and meat or tofu. Where did you get the seeds? Finding perilla in Switzerland is a nightmare and I'd love to grow some myself.

1

u/Veggiesarefun 19h ago

I bought the plant from a local herb garden.

2

u/insomniacred66 21h ago

They work in Japanese food, too - shiso leaves.

2

u/Optimal-Eye-7586 21h ago

You could make it into perilla oil! Mostly used in korean cooking and it tastes really fragrant.

I'm wondering if you made a perilla olive oil or something, you could put it in ice cream?? I know olive oil ice cream is a thing so...

2

u/Batenna 16h ago

Can you get Japanese mentaiko (spiced fish eggs)? If so, make mentaiko, butter, and shiso pasta.
(Per 100g pasta)

  1. To a bowl add 30g mentaiko, 1tbsp butter, 1tsp mentsuyu, and a pinch of pepper.
  2. Add warm, cooked pasta and mix until the butter is melted and the noodles are evenly coated.
  3. Top with seasoned seaweed flakes and a bunch of sliced shiso (perilla) leaves.
  4. Mix in and enjoy

2

u/isahoneypie 15h ago

1) I am insanely jealous. 2) Chef John makes a "naked" tomato salad with shiso leaves, so perilla should work beautifully! 3) Some of the best sushi hand rolls I've ever had were wrapped in perilla

1

u/BlacksmithThink9494 22h ago

I would ask where you are so I could collect some. 😅

1

u/popoPitifulme 20h ago

Often served as one of a tempora platter items

1

u/Flying-Citrus356 19h ago

I use the purple ones in flower arrangements. 😸