Herbs: Bronze Perilla., 1 by raydio

raydio wrote:
I don't personally use it as I'm not terribly handy in the kitchen (coff-coff). I just love perilla, red, green or in-between. The metallic purples can deepen to almost black under good conditions.

I know that it is used a lot in Japanese cookery: the green more so as flavoring and the red for coloring food (like pickled ginger).

I think that one could try it in recipes that call for cilantro or Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides) for a change of pace.......it seems to be in that area of flavors. Toss a bit of chopped red into a salad. One might just be inspired to experiment.......try ot here and there.

I'd like to know what it tastes like steamed, so I'll be trying that, I think.

I have three of the bronze ones potted up to segregate them form the reds and greens during blooming so I can see what comes up next year from the purebred bronze one.

Not a good picture but this is the potful. There are several others around the yard that are bronze that I'll collect seed from too.

The bronze form has inherited a good bit of the curl and serrations of the 'crispa' form of red (purple) perilla which is heavier that in the green form.