We're Seeing It Everywhere: Perilla Leaf

Photo credit: Otmar Diez, StockFood

Atypical edible leaves are trending, from papalo making cameos beyond its typical Mexican cemita to betel leaves used as wrappers at Thai restaurants.The newest kid on the comestible foliage block is the perilla leaf, which we recently devoured in its delicious fried incarnation, wrapped around a little bundle of shrimp and pork at Hanjan, a Korean restaurant in New York City.

But the perilla genus, which is part of the larger mint family, grows over much of the central and eastern United States, as well as in Washington State. It encompasses shiso leaf, which is (horticulturally speaking) a different varietal from perilla leaf that is nonetheless almost identical in flavor: aromatic, floral, slightly tart, and like nothing else.  

Of course, while they’re still somewhat unusual here, perilla leaves have been enormously popular in Japanese and Korean cooking for eons, and trace back to Asia, said Todd Forrest, head of horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden. “It’s amazing,” he laughed, “how things explode from little-known culinary herb to full-blown fad.” It’s almost impossible to distinguish perilla leaf from shiso leaf, says Forrest, who declared that “in a blind taste test I certainly couldn’t tell them apart.”

If a horticulturist can’t tell them apart, it’s no surprise that chefs can’t, either: Expect to see “perilla leaf” and “shiso leaf” used interchangeably on menus with more frequency, because they’ve hit American shores in a major way. There’s a plum-and-perilla-leaf sushi roll in Los Angeles, shiso frozen yogurt in Chicago, and local smelt spread with sour plum sauce and festooned with shiso leaf in Seattle.

Those wanting to play around with perilla or shiso leaves at home should seek out shiso leaves online (where they’re easier to find than perilla leaves) or at Asian markets, where they’re sometimes labeled “sesame leaves.” You can admire that piquant, inimitable bouquet and biting flavor, which shimmers beautifully when it has a subtle backdrop as a foil, such as in this chawanmushi, a savory custard, from chef Anita Lo.

So keep an eye peeled for perilla aka shiso leaves, and while you’re at it, eat your flowers, too.