What Is Kkaennip? The Korean Perilla Leaf Explained

Kkaennip (깻잎) — sometimes called Korean perilla leaf or Korean sesame leaf — is one of Korean cuisine's most characteristic flavors. It appears on the Korean BBQ table as a wrap for grilled meat, in banchan pickled in soy sauce, as a garnish throughout Korean cooking, and in certain soups and stews.

Despite being called "sesame leaf" (kkae = sesame, nip = leaf) in Korean, kkaennip is actually from the perilla plant, not the sesame plant. The name likely comes from historical confusion or the similar look of the plants. The botanical name is Perilla frutescens var. coreana.

Kkaennip vs. Shiso: What's the Difference?

The most common confusion about kkaennip is its relationship to Japanese shiso (Perilla frutescens var. japonica). They are very closely related — both are perilla varieties — but they taste different and look slightly different:

Kkaennip (Korean):

• Larger leaves (typically 7-12cm long), rounder with more pronounced serrated edges
• Color: deep green on both sides, sometimes with a slightly purple tint on the underside
• Flavor: more pungent, stronger, with an anise-like component and something reminiscent of mint and cinnamon — more assertive than shiso
• Used primarily as a wrap herb and as a pickled vegetable

Shiso (Japanese):

• Smaller leaves, more pointed with delicate serration
• Two varieties: green (ao-jiso) and purple/red (aka-jiso)
• Flavor: more delicate, lighter anise character, more distinctly herbal without the pungency of kkaennip
• Used primarily as a garnish, in sashimi presentation, and in Japanese pickles (umeboshi uses red shiso)

They can sometimes substitute for each other, but the flavor difference is significant enough that a dish made with shiso will not taste the same as one made with kkaennip and vice versa.

How Kkaennip Is Used in Korean Cooking

As a BBQ wrap (ssam): The most visible use. At Korean BBQ, a piece of grilled meat — samgyeopsal (pork belly) or galbi (short rib) — is placed in the center of a kkaennip leaf, along with a dab of ssamjang (a thick fermented soybean + gochujang paste), a sliver of garlic, and perhaps a slice of green chili. The leaf is folded over the contents and eaten in one bite. The fresh, pungent leaf contrasts the rich, smoky meat and the intense fermented sauce.

Pickled kkaennip (kkaennip-bokkeum / kkaennip-jangajji): One of the most popular banchan. Raw kkaennip leaves are stacked and marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, gochugaru, and green onion. The leaves absorb the marinade, becoming savory, slightly wilted, and intensely flavored — one of the best Korean rice accompaniments. They keep refrigerated for 1-2 weeks and improve over the first few days.

In soups and stews: Kkaennip added to doenjang jjigae or other earthy stews contributes aromatic complexity. It wilts quickly in heat — add toward the end.

With raw fish: Kkaennip appears in Korean raw fish preparations (hoe, similar to sashimi) as a wrap herb, where its assertive flavor complements raw fish differently than the Japanese shiso approach.

Fresh herb throughout Korean meals: Kkaennip is a banchan in its own right — raw leaves arranged as part of a ssam (wrap) spread alongside lettuce and other wrapping greens.

How to Make Kkaennip Jangajji (Soy-Pickled Perilla Leaves)

This is one of the most practical and satisfying Korean banchan to make at home.

Ingredients:

• 30 fresh kkaennip leaves
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon gochugaru (optional — omit for mild version)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 stalk green onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method: Wash the kkaennip leaves and pat dry. Mix all seasoning ingredients together.

Stack the leaves in pairs or threes. In a container, lay down a small stack of leaves, spread a thin layer of seasoning on top. Add another stack of leaves. Spread seasoning. Continue layering and seasoning until all leaves and seasoning are used.

Cover and refrigerate. Ready to eat after 4-6 hours; best at 1-2 days.

Serving: Peel off one leaf at a time and eat with rice. The leaf wraps around the rice bite naturally.

Where to Find Kkaennip

Fresh kkaennip is available at Korean grocery stores, year-round. It's sold in bunches. Look for leaves that are deep green without yellowing, with turgid stems indicating freshness.

Some Asian grocery stores carry it labeled as "perilla leaves." Japanese shiso is occasionally stocked at well-supplied Asian grocers — they look similar but the difference in flavor is significant.

Growing it: Kkaennip grows easily in temperate gardens and is a vigorous, sometimes invasive annual. Seeds are available from Asian seed suppliers. It requires full sun and moderate water. Plants produce leaves continuously from summer through early fall.

Nutritional Notes

Kkaennip is high in:

• Vitamin K (one of the highest dietary plant sources)
• Vitamin C and vitamin A
• Rosmarinic acid (anti-inflammatory compound found in the mint family)
• Perilla ketone and other aromatic compounds responsible for its distinctive flavor

The assertive flavor comes from these aromatic compounds — the same family of compounds that makes mint, basil, and other herbs in the Lamiaceae family aromatic.

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Kkaennip is one of those ingredients where once you understand what it is and tastes like, you begin to notice its presence or absence in Korean food very specifically. The slightly medicinal, anise-and-mint character it contributes — particularly in the pickled jangajji form — is as distinctively Korean as gochugaru or doenjang.

Related reading: Korean BBQ Guide | Korean Banchan Recipes | Korean Dining Etiquette