Ingrédient

Toasted Perilla Powder

Perilla frutescens

Perilla seeds give off a nutty scent when toasted.

Supporting the local communities in Fukushima

Kawauchi is a village nestled in the mountains of the Fukushima Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of Japan. The village is 90% forest and relies predominantly on agriculture. Our supplier established his business there in 2015 to revitalise the agricultural activities of his hometown after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Plants are grown with care, under clear skies and fresh rain, without pesticides or fertilisers.

The enterprise holds a Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) certification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. They are committed to meeting the sustainability standards required by the certification, which cover farm management, worker welfare and food safety. These standards also include measures against radioactive substances.

What’s perilla anyway?

Ever heard of shiso while eating an East or Southeast Asian dish? A fragrant leaf with a minty taste? That’s the Perilla frutescens and its many varieties, a fast-growing herb from the mint family with a dark green, red or purple colour. Its leaves and oil-rich seeds are a real trip to Flavour Town!

In the Tohoku region, it is called ‘junen’, because people who eat it are said to live 10 years (pronounced junen in Japanese) longer.