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JennyC
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If I know it's a mint, can I eat it?

Are there any poisonous mints? I've found a couple of large patches of a broadleaf (basil-like, but with serrate leaves) "mint" -- there's a square stem, minty scent when leaves are crushed. This one is green, with reddish veins.

Are there any poisonous mints? I seem to have wild possibles cropping up all over.

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Kisal
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There's this one, but I don't know whether its "pungent" smell is actually like mint, and I doubt that it's a true member of the mint family:

perilla mint (Perilla frutescens) -- Annual herb, .2 to .6 m tall, freely branched. Leaves opposite, purple or green, ovate, 5 to 13 cm long, 4 to 10 cm wide, coarsely serrate, crushed leaves and stem with a strong pungent odor. Flowers small, white to purple, with a ring of hairs in the throat of the 5-lobed corolla; borne in terminal panicles or singly in the axils of leaves. Found throughout the south in pastures, fields, roadsides, about homesites and waste places.

Image can be seen here:

https://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/library/poisonous/page28.htm

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JennyC
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Hmm. Thanks, Kisal. I can't tell from the picture if that's what I have, but I am in the Southeast, and I did find it growing in a pasture. I think I won't be eating it until I get an expert opinion, at any rate. Or maybe I'll just use it for scented sachets...

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applestar
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In Japan, Perilla frutescens is being sold at $.84 + tax and s/h for a "bundle" of 10 leaves :shock: 8) Does yours look like this?
[img]https://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/kawamasa/img101157432.jpeg[/img]
If it's the same, it's great used in salad, Tempura, meat/rice wrap (works well with Chinese food). The leaves are fragile and turn black easily -- think basil. The flavor is closer to basil than mint, too.

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JennyC
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applestar wrote:In Japan, Perilla frutescens is being sold at $.84 + tax and s/h for a "bundle" of 10 leaves :shock: 8) Does yours look like this?

If it's the same, it's great used in salad, Tempura, meat/rice wrap (works well with Chinese food). The leaves are fragile and turn black easily -- think basil. The flavor is closer to basil than mint, too.
Well, mine does look like that. But Kisal's lin says it's toxic to a variety of animals?? So people eat it?

Very confusing. I think I'll be taking a sample to my local extension agent next week.

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applestar
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Well, I found a Japanese web site that has the most info so far. Here's another picture: [img]https://www.officej1.com/nrk/perilla/images/SISO2%5B1%5D.gif[/img]
According to this website, this is a photo of Perilla frutescens var. crispa, which has been cultivated/naturalized in Japan for approx. 2500 yrs. Originally from Southwestern China (Chinese Medicinal herb). (Here's an interesting native status question for ya! Is 2500 yrs enough?)

Carotene content is x2.8 spinach, x1.2 carrots. High in calcium and iron -- as much as x3 mustard greens. Promotes appetite and is antibacterial. Also said to relieve stress and insomnia, as well as quiets cough (used in tea?) Infusion is said to be effective in preventing food poisoning from shellfish. Recent reported findings also include: promotes break-down of blood-alcohol as well as nicotine and tar, prevents cancer, and reduces hyperactivity in white blood cells that leads to allergy symptoms such as asthma, hives, and hay fever.

Sounds pretty good -- hope this is what you have Jenny! :wink:

Oh, here's another link loaded with info: https://wapedia.mobi/en/Perilla

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JennyC
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Hmm. Applestar, didn't you and I have a conversation in another thread about this same herb? Your link says it's commonly called shiso. I think you ID'd a purple mint as shisho for me early in the summer. Your link also says there are both green and purple shiso varieties, and I have both things growing in close proximity (even intermingled in the pasture). I'm thinking what I have is probably some variety of shiso. I wonder if the American weed version can be used as the Asian culinary cultivars are.

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applestar
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Hey, I remember that! So could it be that they're not really naturalized by accident but that somebody used to grow them there? :?:

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JennyC
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Finally took both plants to my extension agent yesterday. She confirmed that the green one is a) a weed and b) edible, as a lot of our immigrant community here (Guatemalan, primarily), comes to pick it from her organic farm and they cook it in tortillas. She doesn't know the name, but I think it's safe to assume it's perilla sp. AKA shiso. So I'll be eating some, or maybe a lot if it's good.

She's researching the red plant for me, but I'm betting it's a variety of perilla. I also bet it's either native or naturalized.

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applestar
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Hi Jenny -

Came across a cautionary note in Japanese Wikipedia. Translated, it comes across as something like this:
Shiso native to U.S. is different from Japanese shiso, and the fragrance is different as well. Japanese shiso essence derives from Perilla aldehyde, where as American shiso essence derives from Perilla ketone. The two species are visually indistinguishable. Perilla ketone is toxic to some animals (cattle and horses) and can cause pulmonary edema. The plant is considered a poisonous weed in the U.S.
On the other hand:
Perilla leaf contains Rosemary acid which is considered useful for preventing allergies.
It doesn't say if U.S. native perilla also contains rosemary acid.

Now, that said, I found an interesting recipe for Red Shiso Juice:
https://www.town.oharu.aichi.jp/oshirase/shisojuice.htm
Yeah, yea. It's in Japanese. So,

RED SHISO JUICE CONCENTRATE

Ingredients:
Water 1800 cc
Red Shiso 500 g
Sugar 450 g
citric acid    3 tsp
Strawberry essence (optional)

(1) Wash Shiso and drain in colander
(2) Heat water to boiling. Add shiso and cook 1~2 minutes until the red shiso turns green
(3) Strain the liquid and replace in the pot.
(4) Add sugar to shiso liquid and return to boil
(5) Remove from heat and allow to cool. When cool, add the citric acid. Photo Left: Before adding citric acid
Photo Right: After adding citric acid
(interesting science experiment here).
Optional: Add strawberry essence to taste.
(6) To drink, dilute with 3~5 times water or soda/mineral water

The table at the bottom of the page is nutritional info. If you really, really want it, I'll try to translate. Suffice it to say Purple column is red shiso and Yellow column is lemon.

Several other Japanese pages extol the virtues of Shiso in skin-care products. If you like the fragrance, you may want to try it as Bath herb or shampoo ingredient (obviously, make sure you're not allergic to it first :shock: ) I get unscented shampoo and steep herbs in the bottle of shampoo or make herbal vinegars and mix with the shampoo. :wink:

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JennyC
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Good ideas, Applestar. I'm going to try eating in moderation, see what happens. After I ask husband about the ketone, that is (chemists are useful to have around). I did discover the possible problem with livestock. Can't tell you whether that's true because the horses must not be eating it , or we wouldn't have so much.

I do like the smell, so putting it to that use, at least, is a definite. Good idea with the shampoos. I'm thinking sachets, too.

Don't bother with the nutrition label on the juice, but thanks. I don't think I want to concentrate it that much.

I think I may try it as part of a burrito first. That's a good way to eat just a little, to see.

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soil
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we grow perillla, I got the seeds from an old korean lady. we take the leaves, wrap up cooked meat, rice and chili paste. and eat them like taco's.



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