"Many people look for raw perilla oil as they would drink olive oil on an empty stomach. It is rich in omega-3, so they see it as a key to slow aging."
30th, Raongjeong-gil, Wonju-si, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. The perilla oil plant of the cooperative "Yeon Gwa Miso" was filled with a nutty aroma. Yeon Gwa Miso is a cooperative that partners with farms in Wonju, stands with the local community, and makes healthy foods. It has not stopped at simply selling agricultural products, but has linked with school education and local events to grow the value of local food. It processes local crops, including perilla, into a wide range of products, from oils and misu powder to tofu.
Yeon Gwa Miso's flagship product is, by far, "raw perilla oil." While regular perilla oil, pressed from roasted perilla seeds, can suffer significant nutrient loss during the high-heat roasting process and see quality decline through multiple pressings, raw perilla oil is pressed only once at low temperatures below 40°C to minimize nutrient loss. Thanks to that, it has a clear golden hue, and the perilla's native aroma and flavor are fully preserved. Above all, it also boosts consumer trust because it carries almost no risk of benzopyrene, a class 1 carcinogen that can occur at high temperatures. As word spread that just one spoonful provides as much omega-3 as one mackerel, it even earned the nickname "Korean olive oil."
Raw perilla oil excels in nutrition and flavor, but it yields less oil, has a shorter shelf life due to the risk of rancidity, and is priced higher than regular perilla oil.
Kim Won-hun, chair of Yeon Gwa Miso, said, "Many people enjoy raw perilla oil by drizzling it directly over salad, or by circling it around and lightly mixing it into pasta after cooking to add depth of flavor," adding, "Now raw perilla oil is recognized not just as a seasoning oil but as a health oil."
Yeon Gwa Miso's raw perilla oil uses a dedicated variety developed by the Rural Development Administration, "Deulsaem." Deulsaem has a strong perilla aroma and outstanding flavor, making it particularly suitable for raw perilla oil. The Rural Development Administration analyzed 20 domestic perilla varieties with an electronic nose and found that Deulsaem had the most aroma compounds at 33 types, and its content of pyrazine, a key aromatic component, was more than seven times higher than other varieties.
At a Rural Development Administration tasting, the raw perilla oil made from Deulsaem was also rated as having "a rich and smooth aroma." Director Yun Yeong-gu of Yeon Gwa Miso said, "We insist on the Deulsaem variety so consumers can feel 'this is the real perilla aroma,'" emphasizing that "the variety itself is an important competitive edge that serves as collateral for quality."
Misu powder made from local agricultural products is steadily supplied to welfare support programs such as "bundle projects" for low-income households or newborn families, and it is also supplied in bulk to franchise stores. So-called "bundle projects" are public consumption channels in which local governments regularly provide needed items to new mothers or vulnerable groups, serving as a stable sales outlet for farms. Raw perilla oil is also included as part of birth bundles alongside perilla powder and roasted perilla oil, helping sustain demand.
However, this year, due to factors such as drought in the Gangwon region, the perilla harvest decreased, and orders have not been accepted since early Sep. It is said there were complaints on the ground: "Even if we want to sell, we cannot press because there is no perilla."
The Rural Development Administration's "local specialty resource convergence technology support project" also proved a big help. With support for processing equipment and the introduction of a low-temperature, cold-press system, the risk of benzopyrene, a class 1 carcinogen, was reduced to virtually "zero."
Yeon Gwa Miso has gone beyond milling and pressing to develop new products. A representative example is "whole-bean tofu." Because whole-bean tofu is made using soybean flour instead of boiling and pressing soybeans, there is no okara left, and nutrients can be fully captured. Its appearance is similar to cheese, so it can be added straight to salads, and it is characterized by a soft texture that is good even eaten raw. Director Yun said, "Whole-bean tofu is rich in protein and nutrients, yet nothing is discarded, so it is a sustainable food," adding, "Along with raw perilla oil, it will become another pillar that can fill a healthy table."
Yeon Gwa Miso is a cooperative run by Director Yun Yeong-gu and his wife, Chair Kim Won-hun. The couple personally staff the plant and lead the development of new products such as misu cookies and chiffon cakes. Consumer trust is even higher because the family works together to elevate local agricultural products.
Yeon Gwa Miso's growth is not the cooperative's doing alone. It has signed an agreement with the Wonju City Social Enterprise Council to share resources and sales channels, and it is growing together as a member of the local social economy.
Director Yun said, "Raw perilla oil helps with health, but more importantly, it gives farmers hope to continue farming." The path to slow aging opened by raw perilla oil, and the path of mutual growth forged by the cooperative, are the future of local food that "Yeon Gwa Miso" envisions.