Everyone who came to Korea must have tasted a lot of bulgogi. I'm sure you've learned how to eat bulgogi. Bulgogi is usually eaten wrapped in lettuce or sesame leaves, depending on each person's personal preference. If you ask foreigners what they prefer between sesame leaves and lettuce, most of them tend to prefer lettuce, but there are more people who enjoy eating sesame leaves than you think.
Because we are not used to the taste of sesame leaves, it is often difficult to approach foods containing sesame leaves among Korean dishes. However, if you stay in Korea for a long time, you slowly eat sesame leaves that you have not tried before, and there are more cases than you think that you like the taste of sesame leaves. However, how much do you know about perilla leaves that are actually commonly eaten?
Source: Braised perilla leaves - Our dining table | Recipe (wtable.co.kr)
Introduction of sesame leaves
Sesame leaves refer to the leaves of perilla in the Lamiaceae family (plant: Asiatic self-heal). Perilla leaves have a unique fragrance and soft texture, and are a vegetable rich in nutrients. Sesame leaves contain vitamins A, C, K, folic acid, calcium, iron, etc., so they are good for blood vessel health, cancer prevention, osteoporosis prevention, immunity enhancement, skin health, eye health, intestinal health and constipation prevention, anemia improvement, food poisoning It is said to have various effects such as prevention and relieving neuralgia.
Perilla leaves are used in various dishes such as ssam (Korean cuisine name), perilla leaf steamed (Korean cuisine name), perilla leaf kimchi (Korean cuisine name), and pickled perilla leaves (Korean cuisine name). In particular, it has the effect of catching the fishy smell (smell of meat) of meat or fish and improving the taste, so it is often used as a vegetable for ssam (vegetables stacked and eaten). It is also used in fried perilla leaves or tuna gimbap, and it can be said that it is a food that can take care of both taste and nutrition.
Perilla leaf is a vegetable widely cultivated and consumed in Korea, but it is a food ingredient consumed only by Koreans around the world. In Japan, it is called Egoma, and in China, it is called Amethyst Leaf, but it is not used for food. It's good to know that in English they are called Perilla leaves and calling them Sesame leaves is a mistranslation (mistranslation).
Source: Chubu Sesame Leaves 30g - Market Curly (kurly.com)
Why do Koreans like perilla leaves?
There can be many reasons why Koreans like sesame leaves. I thought of the following reasons.
Sesame leaves have a good fragrance and a soft texture, so I think they are suitable for eating as a wrap or side dish. It also goes well with foods that have a fishy smell (the smell of meat), such as meat or fish.
Sesame leaves are rich in nutrients and have various effects, so they are good for health. As mentioned above, it has effects such as blood vessel health, cancer prevention, osteoporosis prevention, immunity enhancement, skin health, eye health, intestinal health and constipation prevention, anemia improvement, food poisoning prevention, and neuralgia relief.
Perilla leaf is a traditional vegetable that has been cultivated and consumed in Korea for a long time. It is deeply involved in Korean culture and history. For example, steamed perilla leaves have been eaten since the Unified Silla era.
Perilla leaves can be used in various dishes, so I think it enhances the taste and variety of food. There are dishes such as steamed perilla leaves, perilla leaf kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, fried perilla leaves, and tuna gimbap.
Besides this, there may be personal reasons why Koreans like sesame leaves. I personally like the scent and color of sesame leaves.
Eating perilla leaves can help you understand Korean cuisine.
Sesame leaves serve as a spice, one of the hallmarks of Korean cuisine. By eating perilla leaves, you can feel the taste and variety of Korean cuisine. In addition, perilla leaf is a traditional vegetable that has been cultivated and consumed in Korea for a long time, and is deeply related to Korean culture and history.
Therefore, by eating perilla leaves, you can learn about the characteristics and charms of Korean cuisine and learn about Korean culture and history. If you want to improve your understanding of Korean cuisine through sesame leaves, we recommend trying out various sesame leaf dishes!
