#FOOD: OISHII STRAWBERRIES ARRIVE IN CANADA

Oishii, the innovative company behind the world’s largest strawberry smart farm, launches today in Toronto with the Canadian debut of the Koyo Berry, a premium Japanese strawberry varietal. The Koyo Berry is available for purchase across all Fortinos locations and other fine grocers, and will be featured on menus this month at Toronto venues including Miku, Andrea’s Cookies, Belle Isle and KWENTO, with more collaborations to come. Oishii’s mission is to transform agriculture through smart farming by blending nature with state-of-the-art technology to grow consistently exceptional produce year-round, delivering reliability, quality and flavour, regardless of season. Torontonians can shop for the Koyo Berry at their local Fortinos, and can expect continued expansion. To find the closest retailer near you, use Oishii’s store locator HERE.

Oishii’s berries are grown to an exceptional standard: pesticide-free, Non-GMO, and consistently sweet, with a signature ripeness that delivers a perfectly red interior from tip to stem. Grown indoors without pesticides, Oishii’s Koyo Berries don’t even need to be washed before enjoying, making them as effortless as they are premium. True to its name, Oishii, meaning “delicious” in Japanese, is bringing a strawberry experience designed to taste as good as it looks, while Koyo, meaning “elated,” reflects the feeling each bite delivers, refreshingly sweet with balanced acidity. Oishii’s Koyo Berries are beautiful and delicate, which is why each tray is specially curated and engineered to protect the fruit, minimizing bruising and preserving freshness and flavour from store to home.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Oishii will host a special pop-up in front of Minami (225 King St. West near John St.) on February 14, 11am-4pm, where they will be giving away free trays of Koyo Berries, flowers curated in partnership with Mitsu Ikebaby and custom Valentine’s Day cards. Items will be available while supplies last.

To continue Valentine’s Day festivities, Oishii will be featured in a series of Toronto collaborations that highlight the Koyo Berry in limited time desserts and takeaway treats. From February 13 to 14, Miku will offer an Oishii Berry Shortcake, crafted by MICHELIN pastry chef, Aiko Uchigoshi.

“I wanted guests to experience the pure flavour of the Koyo Berry, and its aroma, softness, and balanced sweetness feel remarkably close to the strawberries I grew up eating in Japan, familiar, nostalgic, and deeply comforting,” said Uchigoshi. “Because Koyo is so delicate and juicy, I can use the berries whole between layers of sponge and cream so they melt seamlessly into the cake, and even alongside Dulcey chocolate and pistachio, the Koyo Berry still shines.”

When it comes to ingredients that inspire chefs, one of the most informed perspectives comes from Jacob Richler editor-in-chief and publisher of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

“I do my best to eat seasonally – but I’ll always make a happy exception for a product as good as this. Having these firm, fragrant, sweet and luscious strawberries readily available here all-year-round is a game-changer,” says Jacob Richler.

KWENTO will release an Oishii Tea Cake Set with a presale window running February 2 to 9, followed by pick up from February 12 to 15.

From February 11 to 15, Andrea’s Cookies will roll out a Chocolate Oishii Berry Cookie across all Toronto locations.

Extending beyond Valentine’s Day, Belle Isle will feature an Oishii Berry Rice Pudding available from February through March.

“Oishii was founded with the goal of bringing Japanese fruit culture to new audiences, and Toronto is an exciting next step for us,” said Hiroki Koga, Co-Founder and CEO of Oishii. “We are proud to introduce the Koyo Berry to the Canadian market and to partner with trusted retailers and culinary leaders to make it easier for Canadians to experience premium produce that consistently delivers on quality flavour, season after season.”

About Oishii

Oishii is the only vertical farming company to achieve bee pollination at scale, creating an indoor ecosystem that supports consistently high quality produce. By harmoniously marrying nature with cutting-edge technology and innovation, Oishii can identify, test and replicate the ideal environment for each unique product, enabling always-in-season produce without dependence on weather, while using less land and water.

Oishii is a smart-farming company redefining how premium strawberries are grown, operating the world’s largest indoor vertical strawberry farm. By combining controlled-environment agriculture with natural bee pollination, Oishii carefully calibrates key growing conditions, including airflow, temperature, light, moisture, and nutrients, to cultivate in-season quality year-round. Established in 2016, the company is backed by investors including SPARX Group, NTT, Yaskawa, McWin Capital Partners, and Resilience Reserve, and was named to Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies” list in 2022. Learn more at www.oishii.com.

(Photo credit: Nicholas Calcott)