Thirty years ago in San Francisco, influenced by Asian cuisine, my husband and I frequently sprinkled powdered shiso on our food as a spice. In Nebraska, I had a period of trying to grow everything I ate--to see what its plant looked like--so we grew a few plants in the garden. I hadn't given it much thought since, until seeing it in botanical gardens and as an ornamental in Ohio.
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| beefsteak plant, Perilla frutescens, also called shiso |