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If you're a Japanese cuisine enthusiast, you're probably no stranger to wasabi – especially if you love sushi and sashimi. However, not everyone realizes that the wasabi they've tasted isn't genuine.
Authentic Wasabi – a seasoning not everyone gets to try.
Most people mistakenly believe that horseradish and wasabi – the condiments commonly served with sushi and sashimi in Japanese restaurants – are the same because they share a green color and a spicy kick when eaten. However, they are two completely different condiments. Horseradish is made from horseradish seeds, while wasabi is ground from the stem of the wasabi plant.
Horseradish and wasabi are botanical relatives, both being herbaceous plants belonging to the Brassicaceae family along with other plants such as turnips, mustard greens, and rapeseed.
According to statistics, only 5% of the wasabi served in Japanese restaurants worldwide is made from authentic wasabi roots, while the rest is primarily made from horseradish, radish seeds, and coloring agents.
In reality, very few Japanese restaurants use genuine fresh wasabi, so not many people have had the opportunity to taste premium-grade wasabi.
The Japanese Wasabi plant is an extremely finicky crop to cultivate.
Growing Wasabi demands specific conditions such as clean, nutrient-rich water flowing through without being overly wet. Additionally, Wasabi needs to be cultivated in a location with just the right amount of light; too much or too little sunlight is unsuitable. If planted in a dark area, the plant will be devoured by snails. If exposed to direct sunlight, Wasabi leaves will turn yellow.
Wasabi thrives best in lightly lit and slightly dry environments, but direct sunlight must be avoided.
The most crucial factor for growing Wasabi is spring water with a temperature of around 13-18°C. One of the most famous Wasabi farms is Daio Wasabi in Nagano Prefecture. It's known that each Japanese Wasabi plant must be cultivated for 2 years before harvesting, with each root weighing around 300 grams. Wasabi cannot be grown on a large scale. Most enthusiastic attempts to cultivate Wasabi end in failure, with very few able to profit from this plant. If Wasabi cultivation fails, you won't be able to plant any other crops for 1.5 years.
Fresh Wasabi boasts a distinctive flavor profile.
Prepared Wasabi must be used immediately; if left for more than 15 minutes, it loses its distinctive spicy flavor. The taste of fresh wasabi is subtle, gently awakening the user's taste buds rather than delivering a straight hit of spiciness to the nose. The slight heat of wasabi stimulates respiration through the nasal passages, followed by a light sweetness that creates a refreshing sensation upon consumption.
If stored properly, the stem of the wasabi plant can last for several months.
How expensive is fresh Wasabi?
Japanese Wasabi is renowned as one of the golden crops of the vegetable world. The price of 1kg of wasabi was $160 (approximately 3.6 million VND) in 2014. In recent years, the price of wasabi has steadily increased by 10% annually due to its scarcity and insufficient supply. In 2017, each kilogram of wasabi was sold for 24,000 yen (equivalent to 4.9 million VND), and now many Japanese restaurants are willing to pay $300 (around 6.8 million VND) per kilogram of purchased wasabi.
The Wonders of Wasabi
Japanese people, who enjoy eating raw fish, are susceptible to bacterial contamination. Hence, upon discovering that fresh wasabi contains allyl isothiocyanate, a bactericidal compound, they incorporated this spice into their diet to prevent poisoning and digestive disorders. Fresh wasabi can also reduce fishiness and enhance the flavor of dishes. Therefore, besides being paired with fresh seafood like sushi or sashimi, wasabi is also used in many Japanese dishes such as soba noodles, grilled meats, grilled eel, rice, etc.
Recent studies have shown that wasabi can effectively prevent diseases caused by E. coli bacteria and inhibit the growth of molds and bacteria. Apart from its antibacterial properties, other parts of the wasabi plant are processed into nutritious foods by the Japanese. Wasabi leaves can be consumed raw, cooked, or pickled, and they are rich in calcium, vitamin C, and have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-cancer properties. Japanese have even employed modern technologies to create long-lasting food coatings from wasabi extracts.
Wasabi leaves and roots are rich in calcium and vitamin C, and they also possess anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-cancer properties. Japanese have even utilized modern technologies to produce long-lasting food coatings from wasabi extracts.
The Versatile Essence of Wasabi
Fresh wasabi is served alongside sushi or sashimi. Due to its high cost, 90% of the wasabi on the market is not authentic, mostly consisting of a mixture of horseradish root, mustard oil, and coloring agents. Authentic Japanese wasabi has a vibrant green color, with a mild spicy taste accompanied by a subtle sweetness, unlike the intense spiciness of the green tubes of horseradish commonly sold in stores.
