Perilla

Perilla (deulkkae, Perilla frutescens) is an annual of the mint family (Lamiaceae), thought to have originated in India and China. The 15th-century Korean medical compendium Hyangyak jipseongbang records it under the name imja. It grows readily in cool conditions and poor soil, and was traditionally planted at the edge of vegetable plots or alongside beans and grains.

Koreans use the whole plant. The leaves (kkaennip) are eaten raw as ssam wraps, steamed with seasoning, fried as bugak and pickled as jangajji or kimchi. The seeds are toasted and ground into deulkkae-garu, which thickens soups and namul, or pressed into perilla oil (deulgireum), used mainly in central and southern Korea for sautéing namul and brushing laver. In Joseon court cooking perilla seasoned most soups.

In English the leaves are sometimes called “sesame leaves,” but perilla is not a sesame plant: sesame belongs to a different botanical family (Pedaliaceae).

• Leafy-green nutrients: Per 100 g, raw perilla leaves are notably high in vitamin K and beta-carotene and are a source of calcium and folate.
• Plant omega-3 in the seeds: Korean food-composition data show perilla seed fat is dominated by alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant omega-3 fatty acid; the oil is correspondingly prone to oxidation and is best kept cool.
• Vitamin K and warfarin: People taking warfarin are advised to keep vitamin K intake consistent from week to week rather than suddenly eating large amounts of leafy greens; check with a doctor or pharmacist.
• Pickled forms: Soy-pickled perilla (kkaennip-jangajji) carries much of its brine's sodium.