Green Shiso

A friend gave me a small packet of Green Shiso from Mountain Seed Co.http://mountainseedco.com/ I know nothing about this plant, but it sounds amazing: "purplish green annual herb with a cumin-like aroma used in Japanese cooking - young stems and leaves are used in slads, cooking & pickling. Grows 2 1/2 feet tall." It kind of looks like nettles!

Common names are perilla mint, Chinese basil, or wild basil ~ obviously a member of the mint family - you can make a tea with the dried leaves. Shiso leaves can be eaten raw or cooked or even pickled. Toss the tender leaves into salads or use them as you would mint or basil in savory dishes like soups and rice or to flavor fish. Older leaves might be sliced into strips and added to stir-frys or other vegetable preparations. Shiso foliage is sometimes used to flavor vinegar. Shiso seeds, toasted and salted, are a popular snack in Japan. Crushed, consider the slightly sweet seeds as a flavoring for cooking oils and mustard. Don't forget the flowers. The young sprays can be used as a garnish and in some cultures the older blooming clusters are fried. "> Here is recipe for Edamame salad with Shiso: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001353.html