Sesame leaves, known as kkaennip in Korean cooking, are large, soft, slightly serrated leaves with a distinctive herbal flavor that sits somewhere between mint and basil. Despite the name, they don’t come from the sesame plant. They’re the leaves of perilla, a member of the mint family. You can eat them raw in wraps, pickle them in soy sauce, or sauté them as a simple side dish.
What Sesame Leaves Actually Are
The name “sesame leaves” is a common English shorthand used in Korean grocery stores, but the plant is perilla (Perilla frutescens), not the sesame plant that produces sesame seeds. The leaves are heart-shaped, about the size of your palm, with a slightly fuzzy texture on the underside and jagged edges. Their signature flavor comes primarily from a compound called perillaldehyde, which gives them a strong herbal aroma with hints of mint, anise, and citrus. If you’ve never tasted one, think of it as a bolder, more aromatic version of basil with a slight peppery finish.
You’ll find them sold in stacks at Korean and Asian grocery stores, typically bundled with a rubber band. Look for leaves that are bright green, not wilted or browning at the edges. They’re also easy to grow at home in warm weather, as the plant is vigorous and self-seeds readily.
How to Wash and Prep Them
The slightly textured surface of sesame leaves can trap dirt and residue, so washing matters. The most effective method is simply rinsing under running tap water for about five minutes. Research on leafy vegetables found that running water removed roughly 77% of pesticide residues, outperforming soaking in still water, vinegar solutions, and even baking soda rinses. Gently rub each leaf between your fingers as water flows over both sides. Pat them dry with a clean towel or use a salad spinner.
Once clean, you can stack them neatly for wraps, chop them for stir-fries, or leave them whole for pickling. Remove any thick, tough stems by folding the leaf in half and pulling the stem away.
Raw in Wraps (Ssam)
The most popular way to eat sesame leaves is raw, used as a wrap for rice and meat. In Korean barbecue, a single leaf replaces or accompanies lettuce as the outer wrapper. Place a leaf flat on your palm, shiny side down. Add a small scoop of steamed white rice, a piece of grilled meat (bulgogi, pork belly, or any marinated protein works well), a dab of fermented chili paste, and whatever toppings you like: sliced green onion, shredded carrot, a sliver of raw garlic. Fold the leaf edges up and around the filling to form a bundle you can eat in one or two bites.
The herbal flavor of the leaf cuts through rich, fatty meats in a way lettuce can’t. That contrast is the whole point. If you’re new to sesame leaves, this is the best place to start because the bold meat and sauce flavors ease you into the leaf’s distinctive taste.
Pickled in Soy Sauce (Kkaennip Jangajji)
Soy-pickled sesame leaves are a staple Korean side dish, and they keep in the fridge for weeks. The process is straightforward. Stack clean leaves in a flat container, drizzling soy sauce between each layer. Use about a cup and a half of soy sauce for a large bunch of leaves. Let the stack sit for an hour, flipping the leaves halfway through so the salt distributes evenly.
While the leaves rest, make a flavored brine. Drain the soy sauce from the leaves into a pot and add one cup of water, a sliced onion, four or five garlic cloves, a sliced apple (for subtle sweetness), and a tablespoon of sliced ginger. Bring this to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes over medium-high heat. Strain out the solids and let the brine cool completely to room temperature before pouring it back over the leaves. Store the container in the refrigerator.
After a day or two, the leaves soften and absorb the salty, savory brine. Eat them wrapped around a spoonful of hot rice. The combination of salty, slightly sweet pickled leaf and plain steamed rice is one of the simplest and most satisfying bites in Korean home cooking.
Sautéed as a Side Dish (Kkaennip Namul)
For a cooked option, blanch a stack of leaves briefly in boiling water, then squeeze out the excess moisture by pressing them into a ball in your hand. Season the leaves with perilla oil or sesame oil, a splash of Korean soup soy sauce, and minced garlic. Massage the seasoning into the leaves with your hands so it coats them evenly.
Sauté the seasoned leaves in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat for one to two minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a tablespoon of water and continue cooking until the liquid evaporates. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds or crushed perilla seeds. The result is a soft, deeply savory side dish with concentrated herbal flavor. Thinly sliced onion is an optional addition for extra sweetness. This pairs well with any Korean rice meal as one of several small side dishes.
Other Ways to Use Them
Beyond these classic preparations, sesame leaves are versatile enough to work into non-Korean cooking. Chop them into salads the way you’d use fresh herbs. Layer whole leaves into sandwiches or rice bowls for a burst of flavor. Dip them in a light tempura batter and fry them until crispy, which mellows the herbal punch while adding crunch. Some cooks use them to wrap fish before grilling, which infuses the protein with flavor while keeping it moist.
You can also chiffonade them (roll the leaves into a tight tube and slice into thin ribbons) and scatter them over noodle soups, cold noodle dishes, or fried rice just before serving. The heat from the dish releases their aromatic oils without wilting them completely.
Nutritional Profile
Sesame leaves are surprisingly nutrient-dense. Per 100 grams, they provide 296 milligrams of calcium (roughly a third of daily needs), 630 micrograms of vitamin A (well over the daily recommendation), and nearly 2 milligrams of iron. They’re also a source of antioxidant compounds. The same perillaldehyde responsible for the leaf’s aroma has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in lab studies, helping to neutralize harmful reactive molecules in cells.
The leaves are low in calories and high in fiber, making them one of the more nutritious wrapping greens you can choose. Eating them regularly as part of a varied diet adds meaningful amounts of calcium and vitamin A, especially if you’re looking for non-dairy calcium sources.
Storage Tips
Fresh sesame leaves wilt quickly. Wrap them loosely in a damp paper towel, place them in a resealable bag with the air partially pressed out, and store them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge. They’ll stay usable for about a week this way. If edges start browning, the leaves are past their prime for raw eating but still fine for sautéing or pickling, where texture matters less. For longer storage, pickling in soy sauce as described above is the best option, as the brine preserves the leaves for several weeks.