Mint, basil, cinnamon and anise appear in one intensely aromatic leaf.
The Living Pantry
Aromatics · East AsiaShiso
Mint, basil, cinnamon and anise appear in one intensely aromatic leaf.
Botanical identityPerilla frutescens
Current statusUncaged Tower Garden Flex · aromatic trial
Heat languageNo capsaicin · 0 SHU
Sensory Lens
Not a flavor box. A living profile.
Choose a dimension. The instrument isolates one part of the plant’s character without reducing the whole ingredient to a single number.
Shiso
Aroma / 78
The living fruit begins with floral and fruit aromatics.
Brightness / 86
Natural acidity creates energy and a sense of origin.
Depth / 74
Sweetness and later development move from the fruit outward.
Heat / 8
Its intensity comes from aroma and acidity—not capsaicin.
Mint, basil, cinnamon and anise appear in one intensely aromatic leaf.
Mint, basil, cinnamon and anise appear in one intensely aromatic leaf.
Mint, basil, cinnamon and anise appear in one intensely aromatic leaf.
Perilla frutescens
Taste, Culture & Use
A plant arrives with a past. We give it a new setting.
Served fresh, pickled or infused; especially expressive beside fruit, rice, fish and bright acids.
- Cultural route
- East Asia
- Grown here
- Hydroponically in Costa Rica
Inside the Tower
Flavor begins below the leaf.
Uncaged Tower Garden Flex · aromatic trial
From plant to possibility
Seed
A small beginning, selected for the flavor and behavior we want to study.
From plant to possibility
Root
The plant establishes in its grow cup while water, oxygen and mineral nutrition circulate below.
From plant to possibility
Tower
Vertical growing puts the plant in tropical light without pretending this is a field or conventional farm.
From plant to possibility
Harvest
Leaves or fruit are selected when aroma, color and structure are ready—not simply when the calendar says so.
From plant to possibility
Kitchen
Fresh, dried, infused or composed: the final use is chosen to protect what made the plant distinctive.
Served fresh, pickled or infused; especially expressive beside fruit, rice, fish and bright acids.
This living entry is ready for original photographs, film and observations as the garden develops.