Beefsteak Plant
In Japan, the green plant is known as Aojiso (青紫蘇).
The wind and rain held off just long enough to get these photos.
These two plants are growing right behind my office.
Perilla frutescens is the scientific name.
The most common place I see these leaves is at sushi bars.
It's a mildly, tangy sort of herb that goes well with fish or salads.
Red Shiso, which, I call purple is good, too.
This is one of the secret ingredients, I put in salsa.
The rest of the stuff will remain a secret.
Not until today, did I ever think of cooking the stuff.
That's because, they are both delicious, raw.
There Are Many Uses for this Herb
At About Japanese Food it's even be called Japanese Basil
Just Hungry says the flowers get salted and pickled and you should grow your own.
The stuff is expensive but, seeds are cheap.
Serious Eats tell me, sometimes shiso is served as tempura.
The Global Healing Center says it may prevent dental problems.
Somebody called Wabi Sabi made this video about Purple Shiso Juice:
Last but not least the Wiki folks helped with some translation.
It got me thinking.
It might be a good idea to grow your own and make that purple juice.
It's probably cheaper and, better for you, than drinking wine !
