| Perilla | |
|---|---|
| P. frutescens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Perilla L. |
| Species: | P. frutescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton |
|
Perilla frutescens (syn. Perilla nankinensis (Lour.) Decne.) is an edible herb and ornamental plant in the Lamiaceae family. Its common name is perilla;[1][2] it is also called beefsteak plant,[1] Chinese basil,[1] wild basil,[1] purple mint,[1] rattlesnake weed,[1] or summer coleus.[1]
Perilla is a perennial herb and can grow to 3-5 feet tall.[2] Its leaves are used as foods in China, Japan and Korea and its seeds are used to make edible oil in Korea. Sometimes, the seeds are ground and added to soup for seasoning in Korea. It has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than two thousand years.
There are red and green perilla. The red perilla has red leaves and used mostly in fish stews in China. The green perilla is more commonly found in Korean cuisine and Japanese cuisine. Koreans make pickled green perilla with red chili powder and soy sauce. Japanese eat sashimi with green perilla.
Perilla frutescens var. frutescens (egoma in Japanese) and Perilla frutescens var. crispa (shiso in Japanese) are very similar plants and their seeds are difficult to distinguish even by scanning electron microscope. Their tastes, however, are quite different. Oil was extracted from P. frutescens var. frutescens in many areas of Southeast Asia and East Asia during the historical period and it is still used to cover cookies in rural areas of Korea. For centuries in Japan, it was also an important source of oil for oil lamps.[3]
The seed of perilla frutescens contain about 35-45% oil, and contain one of the highest proportions of omega-3 (ALA) fatty acids of any seed oil, at 54-64% and only 14% linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. This unusual n6:n3 ratio gives this crop potential for an alternative to other seed oils, one with potential to lower risk for multiple chronic diseases. [4]