A day for ooba / green shiso

Today, and November 8th annually is, Toyokawa Ooba Good Ooba Day とよかわ大葉「いい大葉の日」 in Japan. It is a commemorative day established by agricultural organizations and Toyokawa City in AIchi Prefecture. The area of Toyokawa is known for its "ooba."

Ooba is the green leaf of the shiso plant, a fragrant herb widely used in Japanese cuisine. Known for its fresh aroma and distinctive flavour, it is often served alongside sashimi, wrapped around sushi, added to noodle dishes, used in tempura, or incorporated into a variety of traditional recipes.

The date for the anniversary was chosen through a Japanese wordplay in which the numbers 11 and 08 can be read as "ii (11) oo ba (8), meaning "good ooba." The anniversary helps promote awareness of Toyokawa-grown ooba and the farmers who produce it.