Wasabi is often placed alongside or as a condiment to sushi. Sometimes in a small bowl offered like a blob of green paste as an addition to soy sauce. However, it is not wasabi you’re actually consuming but a wasabi-like kind of a taste, an imitation.
So, What’s Real Wasabi Made Of?
Wasabi is made from the rhizome of a wasabia japonica plant. Similar to that of the ginger, it’s like a plant stem that grows underground where you would expect to see a root.
Freshly grated wasabi tastes more plant-like, herby, bright and green, sweet, fragrant, and even slightly pickle-like, with a hint of quickly fading heat. It’s pungent yet delicate enough to highlight a fish’s flavor, not cover it.
To make real wasabi paste, the root of the plant is grated with a special tool called a sharkskin grater. This creates a paste that is spicy and complex in flavor, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.
Wasabi vs. Horseradish
Both wasabi and horseradish are root vegetables that are grated to create a spicy paste. However, the two plants are actually quite different.
Wasabi
Wasabi is native to Japan and is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes broccoli and cabbage.
Its texture is gritty and in terms of flavor, real wasabi has a more complex and nuanced taste than horseradish. Wasabi has a slightly sweet aftertaste and a subtle spiciness.
This is because wasabi contains different compounds than horseradish, including a compound called isothiocyanate, which gives wasabi its unique flavor.
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Horseradish
Fake wasabi is often made from horseradish. This type of ’wasabi’ is much hotter and burns longer. Horseradish is often used in place of real wasabi, even in Japanese restaurants. It’s much much cheaper.
It’s usually mixed with mustard, thickening agents like cornstarch and flour, and food coloring. You may also find it sold in powder form where you needed to add a little bit of water to make a soft thick paste, or sometimes in tubes with a smoother and less dense consistency like that of toothpaste.
As compared to real wasabi, this type of wasabi is smooth and thick. The sensation of heat is mostly stimulated in the nose more than the taste buds. As it’s exposed to air, freshly grated wasabi loses pungency, aroma, and flavor so it must be served quickly.
How is Wasabi Grown and Why is It Expensive?
Wasabia Japonica is very difficult to grow and cultivate. It grows wild along streams in the mountains and valleys. It is a very sensitive plant, prone to diseases, and can be easily damaged and killed even by simple changes in the environment.
Cultivation requires a cool, humid, and shady conditions but even if all conditions are right, wasabi will still take up to 3 years to mature, and any damage can slow its growth. Given that the plant is rare and very hard to farm, wasabi became significantly more expensive than other spices and condiments in the market.
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How is Wasabi Used?
The rhizome of the wasabi has a more concentrated flavor, but other parts of the plants are surprisingly edible as well. The leaves can be added to salads or stir-fries. Wasabizuke, a dish popular in Japan, uses stems, leaves, flowers, and ground stalks that are pickled by mixing them with salt, sugar, and sake lees (aka sake kasu, a by-product of the sake brewing process).
Wasabi is spicier raw than when cooked. A great flavor that can also be used to add a real kick or accent of taste to any dips, dressings, and sauces, pasta, chicken, tofu, mushroom and much more. There’s more to wasabi than being used to add a hint of heat to sushi, it can be one of the most essential Asian items to keep in your pantry.
What Wasabi to Buy?
If you’re looking for a more authentic and nuanced flavor, then real wasabi or wasabi paste made from the actual plant is the way to go.
However, as I mentioned earlier, real wasabi can be quite expensive and difficult to find outside of Japan. Wasabi paste made from the actual plant can also be pricier than imitation wasabi products.
On the other hand, if you’re simply looking for a spicy kick to add to your dishes, then horseradish or imitation wasabi can be a more affordable and accessible option. It can still add a nice kick to dishes like roast beef, sandwiches, and sauces.
In terms of what specific wasabi to buy, I would recommend checking the ingredients to make sure you’re getting actual wasabi in the product.
Some wasabi products are actually a mixture of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring, so it’s important to read the label.
If you’re looking for real wasabi or wasabi paste made from the actual plant, you may need to do some research to find a reputable seller or specialty store.
Where to Try Real Wasabi?
If you’re looking to taste real wasabi, your best bet is to visit a high-end Japanese restaurant that specializes in traditional cuisine. It’s important to note that real wasabi is rare and expensive, so it’s unlikely that you’ll find it at your local sushi joint.
When you order sushi or sashimi, the restaurant will typically serve a paste made from horseradish, mustard, and food coloring, which is often labeled as wasabi. However, if you’re looking for the real deal, ask the chef if they have fresh wasabi available.
Some restaurants may even have a wasabi grater at the table, allowing you to experience the fresh, grated flavor for yourself.
Keep in mind that real wasabi has a subtle, sweet flavor with a slow burn that builds over time, so be prepared for a unique and unforgettable taste experience.
Have you had fresh wasabi yet? If so, do you like it? If not, are you a little more curious now?
This article really provides me the real information about wasabi. In addition, I attained tons of tips on how to purchase wasabi. And when I buy wasabi which one is the best option for me? The article contains a bunch of information on how to spend your money on wasabi as well. Since I am lacking in wasabi, I did obtain ways of buying it. How the wasabi plants cultivate and grow. It is so precise to read these paragraphs, Thanks for your sharing. I extremely appreciate this.
thank you Dwi! glad you found it helpful
Never had the real thing, sadly. If I didn’t have a black thumb, I’d try to grow it. 🙂
It’s quite expensive to get the real thing but the commercial ones are close to the real taste…