Wasabi – Notoriously hard to find
The next time you’re in a sushi shop eating sushi or sashimi dipped in soy sauce and wasabi, think for a sec if you’re eating true wasabi. Most of the time, people use western or chinese horseradish as susbstitute because the real wasabi root is hard to find and expensive because it is hard to grow.
Wasabi (Japanese: わさび, 山葵 (originally written 和佐比)) ; Wasabia japonica, Cochlearia wasabi, or Eutrema japonica) is a member of the cabbage family. Known as Japanese horseradish, its root is used as a spice and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapors that irritate the nasal passages more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. There are also other species used, such as W. koreana, and W. tetsuigi. The two main cultivars in the marketplace are W. japonica var. Duruma and Mazuma, but there are many others.
Wasabi is generally sold either in the form of a root, which must be very finely grated before use, or as a ready-to-use paste, usually in tubes approximately the size and shape of travel toothpaste tubes. Once the paste is prepared it should remain covered until served to protect the flavor from evaporation. For this reason, sushi chefs usually put the wasabi between the fish and the rice.
Fresh leaves of wasabi can also be eaten and have some of the hot flavor of wasabi roots. They can be eaten as wasabi salad by pickling overnight with a salt and vinegar based dressing, or by quickly boiling them with a little soy sauce. Additionally, the leaves can be battered and deep-fried into chips.
Fortunately for those who mistakenly consume too much of this condiment, the burning sensations it can induce are short-lived compared to the effects of chili peppers, especially when water is used to dissipate the flavor. Wasabi paste bears a superficial resemblance to guacamole, a popular staple of Mexican-style cuisine, a similarity which can lead to an unpleasant surprise for those unfamiliar with Japanese food.
Wasabi is often served with sushi or sashimi, usually accompanied with soy sauce. The two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. Wasabi peas and peanuts are growing in popularity, most notably in Brazil. These legumes are roasted or fried, then coated with a wasabi-like mixture (usually an imitation). These are then eaten as an eye-watering “in the hand” snack.
Wasabi Ice Cream is a recent but increasingly popular innovation.
Almost all sushi bars in America, and some cheap ones in Japan, serve imitation (seiyō) wasabi because authentic wasabi is relatively more expensive. Although harder to find, real wasabi powder (from Wasabia japonica plant) is a convenient way to experience true wasabi’s remarkable flavor, but most commercially available “wasabi” powders contain no true wasabi at all. Most utilize a powdered imitation made from horseradish, mustard seed, and green food coloring (sometimes Spirulina). Whether real or imitation the powder is mixed with an equal amount of water to make a paste.
To distinguish between the true variety of wasabi and the imitation product, real wasabi is known in Japan as hon-wasabi (本山葵), meaning original, or true wasabi.
Source: wikipedia
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