.: evil jungle prince :.

Kkaennip (깻잎 or 들깨), otherwise known as Korean shisho, perilla, beefsteak plant, and even wild sesame, is part of the mint family and is used as a topping in Korean cooking. Another use is to make it into kimchi (깻잎 장아찌).

I began growing kkaennip in my garden a year or two ago when I started preparing dishes which called for it as a topping. Kkaennip grows remarkably well over the winter in the California desert, maturing in late February. It enjoys full sun with relatively cool temperatures. (It seems to prefer sandy cactus soil over normal vegetable soil.) It does not like hot weather, however, and will go to seed immediately if planted past March.

Kkaennip kimchi, according to my cookbook, is prepared by collecting mature leaves, rinsing them, and tying them together with string. (It's important to leave some stem intact for this purpose.) They are then rinsed (dipped) as a group in a salt water brine to prepare them for pickling.

The leaf bundles are then mixed with the seasoning, which is prepared by:

1. Mixing rice porridge (a teaspoon of rice flour + a little water stirred over flame until it thickens slightly), 2-3 tsp fish sauce, 2 tsp red chili flakes, 1 tsp red chili powder, 3 tsp garlic, and 1 tsp ginger.

2. Mixing the seasoning throughly and then interleaving it between the kkaennip leaves.

3. Placing the seasoned leaf bundles in a covered container and weighing them down with a heavy plate or bowl. Cover. Allow to ferment (according to taste preference) and eat over a period of time as a sidedish.

This is my first attempt at making kkaennip kimchi and I'm really excited to try eating it in a few days. I have sampled canned kkaennip kimchi but have never eaten this dish fresh. Considering that I love the taste of fresh kkaennip and love the taste of kimchi, I think I am destined to enjoy this immensely.