What is perilla
Release time : 10/26/2025 09:30:01
Ziziphus jujuba is cultivated in China for about 2000 years, and Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty recorded that "when Ziziphus jujuba young leaves are used, it can be mixed with vegetables, sometimes with salt or vinegar to make pickles and very fragrant. In summer months, it is made into hot soup to drink". It shows that Ziziphus jujuba is very common in Chinese people's diet.
Chinese people use Perilla to cook various dishes, often with fish and crab, the dishes mainly include Perilla dry-cooked fish, Perilla duck, Perilla stir-fried lobsters, Perilla salt cake, Perilla lily mixed with mutton.
Perilla is a staple in our dining table, with its refreshing aroma greatly appreciated. But what exactly is perilla? Let's delve into this topic together.
Perilla, also known as: Licorice herb, White Perilla, Red Perilla, etc., is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Labiatae family.
It has a peculiar aroma, its leaves are often curled and wrinkled, those that remain intact when unfolded are oval in shape, measuring 4 to 11 centimeters in length and 2.5 to 9 centimeters in width. The apex is long and pointed or acute, the base is round or broadly cuneate, the margins have round serrations, both surfaces are purple or greenish-purple, with many papillae on the underside. The petiole is 2 to 5 centimeters in length, purple or purplish-green, and brittle.
The young branches are purplish-green, with a central medullary cavity. The aroma is fragrant and slightly spicy, and the taste is slightly astringent.
Perilla leaves can disperse exterior cold and have a strong ability to induce sweating, used for wind-cold exterior symptoms such as chills, fever, and an absence of sweat. It is commonly used in combination with fresh ginger.
If there is also qi stagnation present in the symptoms, it can be used with Xiangfu and Chenpi.
Perilla leaf, used for Qi stagnation and chest distention, nausea, etc.
Native to China, it is mainly distributed in countries such as India, Myanmar, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Indonesia and Russia.
China has wild and cultivated species in North China, Central China, South China, Southwest China and Taiwan.
Perilla is planted and used in China for about 2000 years, mainly for medicinal, oily, flavoring and edible purposes. Its leaves (Perilla leaf), stems (Perilla stem), fruits (Perilla seed) can be used for medicine, the tender leaves can be eaten raw or cooked as soup, the stem and leaves can be pickled.
In modern times, sesame has become a multi-purpose plant that is highly valued worldwide because of its unique active substances and nutritional components.
Russia, Japan, South Korea, USA and Canada and other countries have planted a large amount of sesame plants, developing dozens of sesame products such as vegetable oil, medicine, pickling product and cosmetics etc.
Perilla, a Chinese herb, is often used in traditional medicine. Perilla, on the other hand, is widely used in Japanese cuisine.
Perilla leaves have the functions of dispelling exterior coldness, dispersing qi and soothing the stomach.
Seeds have the functions of relieving cough and asthma, and reducing phlegm.
The whole plant of perilla can be distilled to obtain perilla oil, and the oil produced from the seeds is also known as Su Zi Oil. Long-term consumption of Su Zi Oil has been shown to have significant therapeutic effects on coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia.
In terms of medicinal function, it can: disperse wind-cold. Perilla is warm in nature and can disperse wind-cold, its spicy taste also opens the lungs and stops coughing, used for cold wind-cold syndrome with symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, and nasal congestion, accompanied by cough, often used in combination with Ephedra and Platycodon grandiflorum, like Xingsu Powder.
In "The Catalog of Medicinal Herbs," it is stated that Perilla frutescens "maintains qi, expels cold."
Harmonizing Qi and Stabilizing the Center: Perilla has a pungent, warm, and dispersing effect, infusing vitality to soothe the spleen and stomach. Therefore, it can expel stagnant qi and harmonize the stomach when used for symptoms of cold wind influencing the exterior combined with spleen and stomach qi stagnation such as chest tightness, nausea, and loss of appetite. It is commonly used in conjunction with Xiang Fu and Chen Pi, as seen in Xiang Su San.
In cases of pregnancy-induced cold affecting the Qi mechanism and leading to fetal restlessness, chest tightness, nausea, etc., it is often used in combination with Perilla root, Amomum villosum, and Tangerine Peel.
Detoxifying Fish and Seafood Poisons: Perilla has the function of fragrantly expelling impurities and warming with a warm, dry nature to detoxify fish and seafood poisonings (Traditional Chinese Medicine views fish and seafood as cold and damp substances).
For ingestion of fish and crab poisoning, causing vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, it can be used alone or mixed with ginger, Pinellia ternata, and Hesperidium.
There is folklore that 6-10g of herb Su Ye, when combined with fish and crabs, should be consumed.
There is a folk legend that this effect was discovered by the renamed physical Hua Tuo of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who also gave the name "Perilla" (Zisu) to the plant.
Additionally, Perilla has strong inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, as well as Shigella dysenteriae.
However, in clinical practice, Zingiber officinale is rarely used for diseases caused by Staphylococcus, but it is effective against gastroenteritis caused by Escherichia coli and Shigella dysenteriae.
Perilla has the ability to dilate skin blood vessels, stimulate sweat glands, and thus exert a sudorific effect. It can also reduce bronchospasm by inhibiting secretion in the bronchi and therefore has a cough-relief and expectorant effect, making it commonly used for colds and coughs.
Furthermore, perilla can promote the secretion of digestive juices and enhance gastrointestinal motility, which may be related to its role in promoting Qi and harmonizing the middle.
It contains a strong antiseptic effect.
Fried field snail with perilla is a traditional and famous Han dish in Hunan Province and belongs to the Hunan cuisine family.
The main ingredients include river snails, perilla leaves, a little pepper, rice wine, minced garlic, fermented beans, etc.
Stir-frying river snails with perilla leaves can not only remove the muddy smell of the river snails themselves, but also bring out the umami flavor of the river snails. When you enter the mouth, you can taste a spicy flavor with sweetness.
1. Field snails are fed with clear water for 2 days, changing the water 2 to 3 times during this period.
2. Use pliers to cut off the tip of the tail of the river snail, put it into a closed container, drop a little sesame oil into the water, shake the container vigorously, and then let it stand for 1 to 2 hours, let it spit out the sand, and wash it for later use.
3. Cut the garlic into thin slices.
Crush ginger into fine shreds.
Cut chives and millet peppers into sections and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. When it is heated to 50% heat, add the garlic slices, shredded ginger and millet pepper to saute until fragrant, then change to high heat and add the field snails to saute for a while.
5. After the field snail shell changes color, add soy sauce and salt, cook in rice wine, add perilla leaves, stir fry for a while, then pour in the stock, bring to a boil, turn to low heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, open the cover, turn to high heat to collect the thick soup, sprinkle with the chives and mix well.
The special aroma of perilla, the freshness of ginger slices and broth, the sweetness of rice wine, and the spiciness of millet peppers are all infused into the snail meat hidden in the shell. It is suitable for picking snails with toothpicks and dipping them in sauce or smoking them directly on the shell. It is fragrant, fresh and spicy. Having such a dish of fragrant dishes is enough to make you enjoy it! It is said that there was a famous chef in ancient times who made a fish soup that was different. Not only was the meat tender and delicious, but also extremely delicious, making people never tired of eating it.
Someone secretly observed and found that he always put some purple-red leaves in his cooking, but when he served the table, he was afraid of letting things out, so he fished out all the leaves. Later, I learned that the leaf was perilla, so his secret was spread.
Ingredients: 800 grams of grass carp, excipients: 100 grams of perilla leaves, 35 grams of green pepper, seasoning: 2 grams of star anise, 10 grams of ginger, 10 grams of garlic (white skin). Practice: 1. Wash and process the fish well.
Green pepper, ginger and garlic, wash and slice.
3. Wash the perilla.
4. Pour oil into the pan and heat it up, and fry the fish slightly.
5. Put star anise, ginger slices, green peppers, and garlic into the pan, stir-fry, and add appropriate amount of water.
6. Place the cooked fish into a pan and simmer on low heat.
7. When it is almost cooked, add perilla and simmer for a while.
8. Season with salt and serve.
The special fragrance of perilla penetrates into the fish meat, making the fish taste without any fishy smell. At the same time, it makes the fish meat more tender and tender, giving people endless aftertaste after eating it.
Who should not eat perilla leaves, a small traditional Chinese medicine herb? Its value makes us all look at it, but at the same time, we cannot underestimate its harm to perilla.
So what are the side effects of perilla leaves? Who is not suitable for eating perilla leaves? Let's take a look at it below.
Perilla leaf is pungent and expels Qi, therefore, it should be used with caution in individuals with deficiency of Qi. It should not be used by those with Yin deficiency and internal heat, nor by those with excessive internal heat.
In "The Classic of Herbal Medicine," there is a record: those with deficiency-related conditions, such as fever accompanied by chills or aversion to cold, and headaches, should avoid using it, as the disease is best treated by consolidation and nourishment.
Those who experience nausea upon ingesting fire should also avoid it.
In "Bencao Tongxuan," there is also a record: Long-term consumption can expel true qi, and patients with deficiency of qi and yin, as well as those with warm diseases, should exercise caution when taking this medicine.
Therefore, individuals with a constitution of Qi deficiency, consumption of colds, or yang deficiency should exercise caution when consuming Perillae frutescens. Additionally, it is crucial not to consume Perillae frutescens together with carp or crabs. Consuming Perillae frutescens in conjunction with carp can lead to the development of toxic sores, and consuming it with crabs can cause abdominal pain.
The medical information provided in this text is for reference only.
In the event of discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on an in-person medical examination.