Perilla frutescens
Encyclopedia
Perilla frutescens is an edible herb and ornamental plant
in the Lamiaceae
family. Its common name is perilla; it is also called beefsteak plant, Chinese basil, wild basil, purple mint, rattlesnake weed, or summer coleus.
Perilla is a perennial herb and can grow to 3-5 feet tall. 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.
The seed of perilla frutescens contain about 35-35% 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 alternitive to other seed oils, one with potential to lower risk for multiple chronic diseases.
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in the Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
family. Its common name is perilla; it is also called beefsteak plant, Chinese basil, wild basil, purple mint, rattlesnake weed, or summer coleus.
Perilla is a perennial herb and can grow to 3-5 feet tall. Its leaves are used as foods in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and its seeds are used to make edible oil in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Sometimes, the seeds are ground and added to soup for seasoning in Korea. It has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
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
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
. Koreans make pickled green perilla with red chili powder and soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
. 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
Scanning electron microscope
A scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that images a sample by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern...
. Their tastes, however, are quite different. Oil was extracted from P. frutescens var. frutescens in many areas of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
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.
The seed of perilla frutescens contain about 35-35% 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
Linoleic acid
Linoleic acid is an unsaturated n-6 fatty acid. It is a colorless liquid at room temperature. In physiological literature, it has a lipid number of 18:2...
, an omega-6 fatty acid. This unusual n6:n3 ratio gives this crop potential for an alternitive to other seed oils, one with potential to lower risk for multiple chronic diseases.
External links
- Perilla frutescens ars-grin.gov