We have red shiso basil that originated from my moms side of the family that reseeds itself.
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When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a species of coleus such as torbangun. Then I saw the distinctive leaves and petioles and realized it is in the mint family. Interesting plant!
p.s. if you want to read something interesting, look up what torbangun (coleus ambonicus) is used for.
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Yeah we used to eat this a lot as kids, we loved the sour punch and crunchy seed pods.
I will say that if you’re on any medications that are hard on the kidneys or have poor kidney function you might want to keep sorrel to a minimum, it’s pretty high on oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is fairly toxic to the kidneys. The body can handle moderate amounts just fine, but if your kidneys are already under duress or if you eat too much of it, it’s off to the hospital with ya.
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That is neat to know! There are many people in this area that incorporate coleus with their pot or planter mix with other ornamentals. I had no clue that it could serve a purpose. 
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Lol, I have C. ambonicus growing as an ornamental and to flavor certain types of ethnic food. It does some unusual things including flavor soups and stews as well as serve as a proven effective galactagogue. Please note that ambonicus is not the same as the common ornamental coleus.
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I was just delving deeper into this. I am now interested in seeking out some seeds of the correct plant in order to incorporate it into some soup recipes. Thank you for sharing this plant (and knowledge) with us!
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Is this the same thing as cuban oregano? It gets really tall and has a super strong smell. I have some cuttings on my porch and a patch in the yard that doesn’t get enough water. Very cool plant.
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Yes, torbangun is aka Cuban Oregano and is Coleus Ambonicus. If anyone wants a couple of sprigs, send a message and I’ll ship you a few when the weather moderates. It is super easy to root. Just stick in potting soil and keep it watered.
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Post it in the local Georgia fb groups if you’re on fb. I know there’s a large population of Asians hidden in Georgia somewhere, just forgot where. Also “sesame” seeds are actually shiso seeds unless I’m mistaken 
I don’t speak Korean, but from what I’ve read that’s just a mistranslation from Korean. Sesame is chamkkae while Korean shiso (actually a different cultigen than Japanese/Southeast Asian shiso, which is soyeop in Korean) is deulkkae. The kkae part can refer to both sesame and shiso. That’s why you’ll see Korean shiso leaves (kkaenip) labeled as “sesame leaves” sometimes.
In Korea, perilla seeds are used like sesame seeds in some dishes and both are pressed for oil.
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Oooo, i thought they were the same but had a feeling. Good to know.
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