Green Ooba Leaves
Estimated Inventory, tray : 35.00
This item was last sold on : 04/09/26
Description/Taste
Green Ooba leaves vary in size depending on their age at harvest and are seen in markets in different sizes for specific applications. The leaves are broad, flat, and slightly oval to heart-shaped, tapering to a pointed tip. The leaf’s surface is matte, textured, and crinkled from prominent veining branching from the center vein or midrib. Green Ooba leaves showcase bright to dark green hues, changing with age, growing conditions, and the specific variety. It is customary for Green Ooba leaves to be sold with the stems removed. The leaves have serrated edges, a soft, pliable consistency, and are sometimes covered in fine hairs. Green Ooba leaves generally have a softer texture than Red Ooba leaves. The leaves are also thin and translucent if held to a light source. Green Ooba leaves have a refreshing aroma and a mild, herbal, slightly bitter flavor with a subtly sweet aftertaste. The leaves are known for their distinct aroma and taste, said to have menthol-like nuances combined with notes of cinnamon, anise, and citrus.
Seasons/Availability
Green Ooba leaves are available year-round in Japan, with peak season in the summer.
Current Facts
Green Ooba leaves, botanically classified as Perilla frutescens var. crispa, are the foliage of an herbaceous plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Ooba, in Japanese, means “big leaf,” and was a name developed for Japanese commercial markets to describe bundles of the leaves. The plant, as a whole, is often referred to as Shiso and Perilla. It is common for Ooba to be spelled Ōba, Oba, or Ohba, and outside of Japan, the species is known by many regional names worldwide. It is important to note that two types of Ooba are sold for culinary purposes: green and red. Green Ooba is called Aojiso and is primarily used for its fresh aroma and flavor. Red Ooba, or Akajiso, is valued for its pigmented nature. Green Ooba leaves are sought for their aroma, taste, and nutritional properties. The leaves are primarily used fresh to enhance raw and cooked culinary dishes and are revered in Japan as a flavoring for everyday recipes.
Nutritional Value
Green Ooba leaves are known for their antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. The leaves are said to contain phytoncides, an antimicrobial organic compound believed to help slow the spoilage of seafood when the leaves are used as a wrap. Green Ooba leaves are also a part of an ancient Chinese legend where a doctor gave a young boy who was on the brink of death from food poisoning Ooba leaves. The leaves were rumored to have revived him and helped cure his food poisoning. This legend has led Ooba to treat digestive problems in Traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine. Ooba is also commonly steeped in tea and consumed as a medicine to improve the skin. Green Ooba leaves are a source of fiber to aid digestion and vitamins A, C, and K to maintain healthy organs, strengthen the immune system, and assist in faster wound healing. The leaves also provide minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. These minerals help the body control daily nerve functions, balance fluid levels, produce proteins for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, and support bone and teeth health.
Applications
Green Ooba leaves have an herbal, bitter, and refreshing menthol-like flavor suited for fresh and cooked culinary preparations. The leaves are customarily used as a condiment or flavor accent in cooking and are believed to stimulate the appetite. The most famous use of Green Ooba in Japan is as an enhancement and sterilizing element for sashimi. Ooba leaves have properties that help neutralize the smell of raw seafood and have antibacterial compounds that prevent food poisoning. Raw fish pieces are often wrapped in Green Ooba leaves, and the leaves are a common element in bento boxes. Green Ooba is also rolled and finely sliced into strips and pieces. These strips are used as a fresh garnish over raw or cooked dishes and are often combined with bonito flakes for enhanced flavoring. Green Ooba leaves are added to salads, omelets, rice, soups, and noodle dishes. They are also consumed as a palate cleanser or layered into fresh spring rolls. In addition to raw dishes, Green Ooba leaves are popularly fried into tempura, added into sauces for meat and vegetable dishes, or folded into raw ground meat for flavoring burger patties and meatballs. Green Ooba leaves are also marinated in garlic and soy sauce and used as a seaweed substitute for rice dishes in the summer, wrapped around rice balls and grilled, or baked into chips. The mint-like flavoring of the greens allows them to be used as a basil or mint substitute in dishes and is occasionally incorporated into Italian recipes, especially in pasta dishes. Green Ooba leaves are also mixed into various beverages. Green Ooba leaves pair well with meats such as beef, chicken, or pork, seafood, aromatics like soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil, sesame seeds, yuzu, and stone fruits. Whole, fresh Green Ooba leaves will keep for 3 to 5 days when wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a container in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Green Ooba leaves are traditionally used to flavor a dish rumored to have been created for guests of the Naruko Onsen in the Miyagi Prefecture. During the feudal era in the late 16th and 17th centuries, Japanese daimyo Date Masamune constructed a shiomiso storehouse within his castle to increase production of Sendai miso, a type of dry red miso made from rice and soybeans. This miso was eventually used as the central filling in Shiso maki or Shiso rolls, which are Green Ooba leaves stuffed with Sendai miso, walnuts, and sesame. The leaves are rolled around the filling and deep-fried to create a refreshing, crunchy dish. Shiso maki was allegedly served to Date Masamune’s guests at the Naruko Onsen, and over time, as the onsen became a tourist spot, the popularity of the Shiso dish spread. Shiso maki was originally eaten as a side dish, but it also became a dish served with tea or as a side in bento boxes. In the modern day, Shiso maki has remained a specialty of the Miyagi Prefecture, and filling variations are made using miso flavored with garlic, ginger, and shredded Ooba leaves. Companies have also started commercially producing rolls on an industrial scale as a snack food.
Geography/History
Green Ooba leaves are native to Asia and have hypothesized origins in areas of Southern China, the Himalayas, and Myanmar. The species has been growing wild since ancient times and was first documented in a medicinal record in the book “Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang” during the Song Dynasty around 1110 BCE. In China, Ooba leaves were used as incense at Buddhist temples and mixed with fragrant woods like frankincense and sandalwood. Ooba leaves were transported along trade routes and were eventually introduced to other countries in Southeast and East Asia. The species has been grown in Japan since the Jomon period, 14,500 to 300 BCE, as seen in seed discoveries found at select ruins from the period. After its introduction, Ooba leaves were initially cultivated as a medicinal ingredient, and the seeds were the most prized portions of the plant. The seeds were also harvested for processing into an oil for lamps. As knowledge around the species increased, so did its use, and the leaves were later incorporated into medicinal and culinary preparations. The name Ooba was given as a brand name for the leaves in the 1960s to distinguish between the leaves and the rest of the plant for culinary purposes. Today, Green Ooba leaves have spread worldwide and are grown as a culinary ingredient. When in season, the leaves are sold fresh through local markets, retailers, and wholesalers.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Sago (Bar) | Encinitas CA | 858-382-4047 |
| Ron Oliver | San Diego | 619-295-3172 |
| Espadin | Temecula California | 951-383-5585 |
| Cherry Fish | San Diego CA | 619-990-8340 |
| Cocina de Barrio NP | San Diego CA | 858-349-2313 |
| Cocina de Barrio Encinitas | Encinitas CA | 760-840-1129 |
| Pizzeria Luigi | San Diego CA | 610-539-7025 |
| Inn at Rancho Santa Fe | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-381-8289 |
| AKA | San Diego CA | 619-595-1450 |
| Catamaran | San Diego CA | 858-488-1081 |
| Cocina De Barrio | San Diego CA | 760-840-1129 |
| Georges at the Cove | San Diego CA | 858-454-4244 |
| Sushi on a Roll | National City CA | 619-518-1468 |
| The Taco Stand | San Diego CA | 619-549-9919 |
| Comercializadora de Especialdides | Vista Hermosa Ej Chapuitepec B.C. | 646 128 7028 |
| Sushi Gaga | San Diego CA | 619-808-1556 |
| Corbeaux Wine & Tea House | Temecula CA | 909-567-6109 |
| Temaki | Encinitas CA | 702-489-2129 |
| Jeune Et Jolie (SOMM) | Carlsbad CA | 858-231-0862 |
| Under Belly-Little Italy Bar | San Diego CA | 619-269-4626 |
| Huntress | San Diego CA | 619-955-5750 |
| Cocina De Barrio 2026 | San Diego CA | 760-840-1129 |
| Under Belly-Uptown (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-269-4626 |
| Belmont Park Cannonball | San Diego CA | 858-228-9283 |
| Roppongi (La Jolla) | La Jolla CA | 619-631-4949 |
| Saiko Sushi-Coronado | Coronado CA | 619-435-0868 |
| Tahona (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-573-0289 |
| JRDN Restaurant | San Diego CA | 858-270-5736 |
| Cherry Fish (Bar) | San Diego CA | 619-990-8340 |
| Lilo | Carlsbad CA | 619-385-0914 |
| Lucien | La Jolla CA | 707-387-7163 |
| Jeune Et Jolie | Carlsbad CA | 858-231-0862 |
| Lumi | San Diego CA | 619-955-5750 |
| Pizza Kaiju | San Diego CA | 619-240-2716 |
| US Grant Hotel Grill | San Diego CA | 619-232-3121 |
| Cloak and Petal Bar | San Diego CA | 619-501-5505 |
| The Santaluz Club Inc - Main Dining | San Diego CA | 858-759-3150 |
| Alejandra's Cocina | Carlsbad CA | 858-500-5075 |
| Peohes | Coronado CA | 619-437-4474 |
| Burgo Direct | Chula Vista CA | 619-793-2325 |
| Cocina de Barrio Point Loma | San Diego CA | 858-349-2313 |
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