I got Shiso (Japanese mint)

I love shopping at my quaint, neighbourhood organic grocer. One of my favourite things about it is they often have unusual products.

This past week, they had Shiso. The lady working there didn’t even know much about it! She said the local herb farmer likes to drop off “weird” plants ever now and then, and she gets concerned people will be “weirded” out by them. Well, I’m all about weird so I took it off her hands!

Turns out, Shiso is also called Japanese mint. I’ve been topping my salads with it and you can infuse the leaves to make tea out of it. Its health benefits include:

• Lots of vitamin C, K and A; potassium; and flavonoids (anthocyanins to be exact).
• Helpful for cold symptoms such as a cough.
• Supports digestive issues and is anti-inflammatory.
• Eases allergies when eaten regularly.

We’ve managed to keep the plant alive and thriving on our window sill. We’ll see how long that lasts…

Next time you see a strange herb at the grocery store, you might want to give it a try 😉

M.