Green perilla will happily grow on a windowsill indoors, providing a lovely scent. Harvest leaves for a continuous supply. Adult plants are very easy to care for, with little maintenance required.

Shiso is a uniquely flavorful herb used in Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and other Asian dishes. The leaves have a distinct minty taste, with a hint of cinnamon, clove, cilantro, a touch of basil earthiness, and a mild bitter finish. They also contain a chemical compound called perillartine (or perilla sugar), which is 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose. However, you’re not likely to taste it when eating the leaves. Medicinal uses for shiso The easiest way to tell red Perilla and purple basil apart is by looking at the leaves. In red Perilla, the leaves often have serrated edges, while purple basil has rounded ones. You can also tell them apart by taste: shiso has a unique aromatic flavor, similar to mint, with a hint of cilantro and spices like cinnamon and anise, and a bitter finish. Meanwhile, purple basil has the unmistakable taste of basil. How to grow shiso Known commonly by its original Japanese name shiso. Welldales super green perilla shiso is a very popular addition to Asian cuisine. Popular with Japanese chefs, this versatile plant is used as both an ingredient and a garnish. This variety is slightly stronger in taste, in comparison to red perilla shiso. With a cinnamon like taste, this is very a popular addition to soups, stews, salads and Japanese dishes. Add fresh leaves to sashimi or sushi platters, for an extra splash of flavour. Growing Perilla Shiso in the UKBotanical name and family: Perilla frutescens var. cripa (called shiso in Japan) is a member of the Lamiaceae—mint family. Shiso is also popular among Vietnamese herbs, under the name of tia to. The main difference from Japanese shiso is that the variety used in Vietnam is bicolor, with green leaves on the top and red on the bottom and stems. The uses are much the same, and you can pair it with Vietnamese soups, stir-fries, and fish or seafood dishes. If you want to grow shiso in winter, the only way to do so is indoors. Shiso is easy to grow as a houseplant, in pots or containers. It’s unpretentious and easy to care for, but growing indoors in winter makes sure that it gets plenty of light. Otherwise, it can become leggy. When to harvest shiso? Companion planting: Shiso roots spread via rhizomes; be careful that shiso roots do not impede the growth of other herbs.

Shiso, especially the red variety, is remarkably similar in appearance to purple basil, so it can be easy to confuse the two plants. The two belong to different families: shiso is a type of mint, while purple basil is, well, a type of basil. All species of Perilla are unpretentious, resilient, and self-sowing. This is excellent news if you’re a gardener, but not so much for the environment. In traditional Chinese medicine, shiso is used as an anti-inflammatory herb to relieve coughs or asthma symptoms and gastrointestinal ailments such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The leaves also have antibacterial properties, so they are often used for skin conditions, such as eczema. What can you cook with shiso?Soil preparation: Plant shiso in compost-rich, well-drained soil. Shiso prefers a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Shiso will grow in average soil. Shiso produces smaller leaves than the Korean variety, and it has a more pronounced minty flavor. Korean Perilla has larger, rounded leaves, whereas shiso typically has serrated edges on its leaves. What is the difference between red Perilla and purple basil?

Both red and green shiso have ruffled varieties, where the leaves are slightly crumpled or ruffled. The red shiso cultivars are the most eye-catching and can also be planted as an ornamental shrub, similar to coleus. Shiso not only looks great but offers a unique flavor that can bring life to a wide array of dishes. It’s reasonably easy to grow indoors and out, making it a great addition to your garden.Bicolor shiso: the best of both worlds, this variety of shiso has leaves that are bright green on the top, and a deep purple on the bottom. There are three main types of shiso: red, green, and bicolor. All three of them are edible, but their uses are slightly different. Green shiso is the most popular variety used in Asian cooking, and its leaves can also be eaten raw. This perennial plant can grow to a height ranging from 16 to 39 inches (40 to 100cm), producing small, inconspicuous flowers and mint-like leaves. Its foliage can vary in color, from green to red, purple, or bicolor. In fact, there are several varieties of shiso, depending on the coloration. Green shiso: the leaves have the same shape as red shiso, but are a vivid green color; flowers are small and white;

The leaves of shiso have many health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, calcium, iron, vitamin A and C, and omega-3 fatty acids.Avoid direct sunlight until the seedlings emerge, which will take around 14-28 days at over 21 degrees celsius. Best started in pots or seed trays, providing extra warmth if required. The most common name comes from Japanese: shiso (written as either 紫蘇 or シソ). You will also find it under English versions such as perilla mint, Chinese basil, Japanese Perilla, or beefsteak plant — sometimes mistakenly called ‘breakfast plant.’ You should see the first shiso seedlings make an appearance after a week or so. Once the plants have two sets of leaves each, and outdoor temperatures stay above 45°F (7°C) during the night, you can transplant them outside. Growing shiso outdoors The best way to keep it under control is to prevent it from producing seeds. To do that, remove the flower heads once they start wilting. This way, you can also encourage the plant to spend more of its energy producing new, tasty leaves. Uses for shiso or tia to What does shiso taste like?