With a flavor that bridges mint, basil, and warm spice, perilla leaves bring a whole new dimension to plant nutrition.

For generations, perilla has been a celebrated secret in East Asian kitchens, adding its signature aromatic twist to everything from Korean wraps to Japanese delicacies. But there is far more to this fragrant leaf than just exceptional flavor. As modern food culture shifts toward celebrating plant variety, this traditional staple is stepping out of the kitchen and into the spotlight as a powerful everyday green worth exploring.

What Is Perilla?

Perilla, scientifically known as Perilla frutescens, is an aromatic leafy plant from the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is widely used across East Asian cuisines and is known by different names depending on the region, including shiso in Japan, kkaennip in Korea, and beefsteak plant.

• It comes in different colors. Perilla leaves can be green, deep purple, or green with a purple underside, depending on the variety.

• It provides dietary fiber. Perilla leaves are a notable source of dietary fiber, with some nutritional databases reporting 5-7 grams per 100 grams of raw leaves.

• It is naturally rich in carotenoids. Think of these as some of the pigments that give plants their vibrant colors. Perilla leaves contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein.

Together, these characteristics give perilla its own nutritional identity. It may not be the most familiar leafy green, but its fiber, nutrients, and distinctive qualities make it a valuable addition to a varied, plant-rich diet.

How Perilla Leaves Are Used in Asian Cuisine

Perilla has been part of Asian cooking for generations, with different cuisines using the leaves in both fresh and cooked preparations.

• Korean wraps: Fresh perilla leaves can be used to wrap rice, grilled meat, and vegetables.

• Banchan: Seasoned perilla leaves are served as Korean side dishes.

• Pickled dishes: Leaves are preserved in seasoned sauces or pickles.

• Soups and stews: Added for flavor and texture.

• Japanese dishes: Shiso is used as an herb or garnish with dishes such as sushi and sashimi.

• Fresh dishes:Young leaves can be enjoyed with salads and other vegetables.

These traditions show how easily perilla fits into everyday meals. The good news is you don't need a Korean BBQ night or a sushi dinner to try it. Its bright, herbal flavor works in recipes you already know, all with a simple leaf swap.

Swap the Leaf: Cooking with Perilla

Perilla is easy to experiment with because it can step into recipes you already know. Think of it as a leaf swap: take a familiar green, replace it with perilla, and see what happens. Its flavor is bright, herbal, slightly minty, with hints of citrus and anise.

1. Perilla Pesto

Blend 1 packed cup perilla leaves, ¼ cup walnuts or pine nuts, 1 garlic clove, ¼ cup parmesan, ⅓ cup olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Toss with pasta, spread on toast, or spoon over roasted vegetables.

Tip: Start with half perilla and half basil if you're new to its stronger flavor.

2. Perilla Mocktail

Muddle 5 to 6 perilla leaves with lime and a little honey or simple syrup. Add ice and sparkling water for a fresh, aromatic drink.

Try purple perilla for a pop of color.

3. Green Morning Smoothie

Blend 3 to 4 perilla leaves with banana, mango, or pineapple, and your choice of milk or coconut water.

The fruit helps balance perilla's herbal flavor.

However you try it, there are plenty of ways to make this distinctive leafy green part of a plant-rich diet. And once you start cooking with perilla, you'll notice that not every leaf looks the same.

The Colors and Varieties of Perilla

Perilla stands out among many leafy greens in a few interesting ways, particularly for the different colors its leaves can take.

Green Perilla

Green varieties are rich in chlorophyll, the natural pigment responsible for their green color. They also contain carotenoids and other naturally occurring plant compounds. Research has identified compounds such as flavonoids and phenolic acids in green perilla leaves, contributing to their overall nutritional profile.

Purple Perilla

Purple varieties get much of their distinctive color from anthocyanins, a group of naturally occurring plant pigments also found in foods such as berries and purple cabbage. Studies have found that purple perilla can contain higher levels of certain anthocyanins and other flavonoid compounds compared with green varieties. 

Green-Purple Perilla

Some perilla varieties have green leaves on top and purple coloring on the underside. These two-tone leaves contain a mix of pigments and naturally occurring compounds associated with both green and purple varieties, giving them their distinctive appearance.

Whether green, purple, or a mix of both, perilla leaves share a nutritional foundation that is worth a closer look.

The Benefits of Adding Perilla to Your Diet 

Perilla leaves offer more than culinary versatility. They contain a combination of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and naturally occurring plant compounds that contribute to their overall nutritional profile. Looking at these qualities together gives a better picture of why this leafy plant can be a valuable part of a varied, plant-rich diet.

1. Supports Normal Digestion

Perilla leaves stand out for their fiber content, providing more fiber per 100 grams than several familiar leafy greens such as spinach and kale. Fiber plays an important role in normal digestive function and bowel regularity. Including fiber-rich plants as part of a varied diet can help maintain healthy digestion, while different types of fiber can also contribute to the environment of the gut.

2. Contributes to Eye and Cellular Health

Perilla contains carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein. These naturally occurring plant pigments are found in many colorful fruits and vegetables and are involved in several normal bodily functions.

Including a variety of carotenoid-containing plants can contribute to overall nutrient intake and help maintain normal eye and cellular health.

3. A Source of Antioxidant Plant Compounds

Perilla naturally contains polyphenols such as rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid, along with several flavonoids. These compounds are being studied for their antioxidant properties and their roles in the plant's natural biology.

Including foods that naturally contain polyphenols adds to the range of plant compounds in your diet and may help the body manage everyday oxidative stress.

4. Plays a Part in Long-Term Wellness

A varied, plant-rich diet can be one of the building blocks of long-term wellness. Regularly eating a mix of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens provides the body with a broad range of nutrients and naturally occurring plant compounds. Over time, these everyday choices can help create a more nourishing foundation for a healthy, active life.

5. Adds Flavor and Variety to Meals

Perilla has a distinctive aroma and flavor that make it a versatile ingredient in everyday cooking. Its leaves can be used in salads, wraps, soups, sushi, marinades, and as a garnish, adding variety to meals without relying on heavily processed ingredients.

Perilla is a valuable addition to a varied diet, with its fiber and plant compounds contributing to the bigger picture of digestive and gut health. Of course, no single plant does the work alone, which is why variety matters so much in modern eating.

The Benefits of Eating More Plants in Modern Wellness

Modern eating makes convenience an easy choice, with fast meals, packaged snacks, and highly processed foods often finding their way into our routines. That makes it important to keep whole and minimally processed plant foods on the plate too. A varied diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds can help create a more balanced approach to everyday eating.

The Fiber Gap in Modern Diets

Many Americans are not getting enough fiber. Average intake is around 15 grams per day, while dietary guidance recommends about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed, or roughly 25 grams a day for women and 38 grams for men ages 19 to 50.

This gap highlights the importance of including more fiber-rich plant foods and greater variety in the diet.

How Many Different Plants Should We Eat Each Week?

The American Gut Project found that people who reported eating more than 30 different types of plant foods per week tended to have greater gut microbial diversity than those who reported eating 10 or fewer. The takeaway is not to count every leaf or turn meals into a numbers game. Plant variety can be built through small changes: trying a different leafy green, adding another fruit, rotating grains and legumes, or including herbs and seeds that do not usually make it onto the plate.

Small changes add up, and perilla is one of the easiest new plants to start with. It's also one of the newest additions to the Future Salad blend.

Perilla Joins the Future Salad Blend

The story of Perilla Leaves doesn't end in the kitchen. As part of the latest Future Salad formula, perilla leaves now join two other new plant ingredients, kale and passion fruit, alongside the ingredients already found in the blend.

Rather than relying on one ingredient to do everything, Future Salad brings a range of plant ingredients together in a convenient format.

5 Ways Future Salad Detox Complements a Plant-Rich Routine

• 15 Plant-Based Ingredients
  Future Salad Detox brings 15 plant-based ingredients together in one blend, including moringa leaves, spirulina, spinach, and green tea. That means one serving can cover half of the 30 different plant foods often used as a benchmark for plant variety, bringing together a mix of nutrient-rich plants rather than relying on just one.

• Designed with Gut Health in Mind
  Gut health is an important part of everyday wellness, and fiber-rich plant foods have an important role in supporting normal digestive function. With dietary fiber and a variety of plant-based ingredients, Future Salad Detox is designed with gut health in mind, making it easier to include these plant-based elements in your routine.
  

• 6g of Dietary Fiber

  
  Each serving of Future Salad provides 6g of dietary fiber, which can complement the fiber you get from meals built around vegetables and fruits. It is not a replacement for whole foods, but instead, it can be one convenient addition to a fiber-rich diet.

• Made to Support Regularity

  
  Supporting regularity is at the heart of Future Salad Detox. Its blend of fiber-rich plant ingredients is designed to help keep your routine regular, one quick shake at a time.

• Makes Adding More Plants Simple

  
  A varied diet does not have to mean preparing a complicated meal every time you want more plants in your routine. Future Salad Detox can be shaken and prepared in about 10 seconds, making it a simple option for days when preparing multiple ingredients is not practical.

A Leafy Green Worth Getting to Know

Perilla is a good example of why variety can make a plant-rich diet more interesting. There is no need to depend on a single ingredient for everything. Different plants bring different nutritional qualities to the table.

With perilla leaves now joining the blend, Future Salad brings that same idea of variety into a convenient 15-ingredient formula. Sometimes, adding more plants to your routine simply starts with discovering one you had not tried before.

With Future Salad, discovering the nutritional value of plants like perilla is just a glass away. 🥗