
Perilla leaves take well to pickling and fermenting, teeing them up nicely to become an intriguing acidic component of meaty dishes as they offer a tart counterpoint to rich flavors—from bowl builds, charcuterie plates and entrées to toppings on roast beef sandwiches or carnitas tacos. Perilla leaves can be pickled in a few traditional styles: soy-sauce-based jangajji or gochugaru-seasoned kimchi. Either way, the minty, anise-y flavor shines through, balanced by a savory, sweet, garlicky profile. Kochi, a fine-dining Korean restaurant in New York, pairs a perilla leaf kimchi with slow-cooked pork tenderloin and cashew-nut ssamjang, demonstrating perilla’s versatility as a flavorful side.
Flavors on the Edge is an ongoing series that explores emerging ingredients poised to become high-impact flavor builders.