Perilla (shiso) is either red or green, the red perilla having an anise flavor and slightly less spicy than the green variety, which tastes more like cinnamon. The leaves, which are rich in calcium and iron, are used for seasoning, coloring, pickling and garnishing. Shiso leaves can be used whole or cut into strips. Use the flower buds by collecting the seeds at the end of the season to sprinkle on salad. The Japanese, in particular, use the red variety to color umeboshi and pickled ginger. Perilla seeds form an essential part of the famous seven spices of Japan, which originated more than 300 years ago in Kyoto.

Recipe:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked

1 tablespoon lime juice

10 Vicia faba, also known as the broad bean, fava bean, faba bean, field bean, bell bean, or tic bean

5 leaves shiso (Perilla frutescens)

2 teaspoon white miso

1 big date or 1 teaspoon agave

Pinch salt / 2 tablespoon water or more if needed. Blend until very smooth.

Bon Appetit!

Almost sesame seeds in Japan are already roasted, but you can find a raw white and black sesame seeds online or at healthy organic shops. Sesame seeds add a nutty taste and a delicate, almost invisible, crunch to many Asian dishes. They are also the main ingredients in tahini (sesame seed paste). Not only are sesame seeds a very good source of manganese and copper, but they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. In addition to these important nutrients, sesame seeds contain two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin. Both of these substances belong to a group of special beneficial fibers called lignans, and have been shown to have a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans, and to prevent high blood pressure. Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage. Continue reading →