Candied Perilla Leaves

My favorite garnish. I'm in love.

Saying I’m in love with candied perilla leaves is an understatement. I’m currently using them as the garnish for my perilla lime tart and it’s truly the perfect centerpiece for this pastry. The perilla leaf in itself is a beautiful herb and the candying just elevates it to another level— both visually and flavor wise.

If you’re not familiar with perilla leaves, it tastes like a mixture of basil and mint with earthy licorice notes. Growing up Korean American, I only ate perilla leaves either marinated like kimchi or as an added layer to my ssam at Korean BBQ. It never crossed my mind to use perilla in a dessert until I was inspired from Claire Saffitz's Youtube video with Natasha Pickowicz where Natasha candies shiso leaves for her pineapple galette. I thought it was genius and wanted to incorporate the same method for perilla leaves— a nostalgic cultural ingredient and a flavor profile that I love. It was really interesting to discover that in a savory application, the stronger herb notes of perilla come through. But when used in a sweeter application by candying the leaves in sugar, it’s grassier minty notes really shine. Learning this, I was determined to create my next pastry with perilla as the visual and flavor focal point— and that’s how the perilla lime tart came to fruition. Making candied perilla leaves is a deceivingly simple process that yields a stunning + delicious garnish so I hope you give it a try.

Candied + Raw Perilla Leaves

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Candied Perilla Leaves

ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES