Perilla (Green Korean)

What is this aromatic leaf doing in a book about plants used as vegetables rather than flavorings? Just what it is supposed to be doing: being a vegetable.

The more familiar purplish form of this member of the mint family (Lamiaceae and Labiatae) is called shiso in Japanese—but should correctly be called aka shiso (red shiso). It is well known as a sushi seasoning and for the scent and color it gives to pickled ginger slices and ume, called “Japanese plums” (which happen to be apricots). The Japanese have cultivated perilla for centuries, but it is probably native to China—although it is apparently missing from contemporary Chinese cuisine.