Forgot to add 1 teaspoon of sugar is included in the recipe. Does no one cook with perilla? Shiso Plant/Beef steak plant? Just wondering.

Oddly enough, I've never been able to start this one from seed. It's been a while since I tried so I'll have to try again. But since fresh isn't really available, I've only used the Japanese yukari shiso salt. I've used it in Japanese styled quick pickles. Adds tang and color.

As for fresh shiso, I would use it if I could grow it. :)

FataMorgana

Yeah, I was so diappointed when the same plant from my other house didn't grow from seed collected by it. I was disapointed, until I saw another lady's collection of herb plants, some photos she had on facebook. It was the same green weed I kept pulling out of my garden, the thing is uncontrollable. If you can't grow the purple/red variety, grow the green one. You can't kill it, it's a mint!

I've already made this 3 times, watched 2 videos, but I like my greens cooked thoroghly, so the videos prefer to use the green leaves and wrap them around rice with their chopsticks. I didn't have the patience to wait for the rice to get done, I really liked the taste of the soy sauce mix over it, it didn't need anything else.

The green ones do not taste as well as the wilted ones, and it's very easy to wilt perilla/shiso. Not so easy to wilt mustard, so I would add more cooking time before anyone start the soy recipe.

All I know is I can eat this every day, no complaints here, and what a surprise that it grew as a weed in the yard.

If you can't grow you other one, grow the green variety, it's hard not to grow, seedlings sprout every day.

Yeah, I've always tried growing the aka shiso (red shiso). Maybe I'll try the green. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have grown mitsuba (Japanese parsley or hornwort) and shungiku (edible chrysanthemum) which are plants with unique tastes. I'm trying red malabar (another asian plant) this year. Reminds me of purslane in taste but with a climbing habit. Very pretty edible.

I took the suggestion of another poster here and tried Kitazawa for Asian veggies this year. I'm growing some Japanese pepper (Shishito & Yatsufusa) and eggplant (Konasu) varieties I got from them. Too early in the season to comment on those yet. But it's a nice place to try if looking for Asian seeds.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitazawa Seed Co.

Those sound good to try, my lettuces didnt grow well, so I may just use that space for something like you mentioned. I'll look at those.

Thanks!!

What's the best flavor? I'll bet all can be used for that recipe.

Best flavor between mitsuba and shungiku? Mitsuba. Shungiku has a powerful taste and a little bit goes a very long way. Mitsuba has an herbal taste, akin to parsley's or cilantro's herbal tastes although uniquely mitsuba.

Shungiku is a flowering and very pretty edible.

FataMorgana

Shungiku:

Mitsuba: