Uses
Wasabi is primarily used as a pungent condiment with sushi and other Japanese foods. The fresh rhizome is grated into a paste that provides a distinctive heat that stimulates the nose rather than the tongue, similar to hot mustard or horseradish but with a subtly different flavor. Wasabi is also used to flavor many snack foods, particularly wasabi-mame (wasabi-coated peanuts, soybeans, or peas). Fresh wasabi leaves can be eaten raw with a spicy flavor, and wasabizuke (wasabi leaves pickled in sake lees) is a specialty of Shizuoka Prefecture. Due to its expense and rarity, most commercial “wasabi” outside Japan is actually a mixture of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring.
Origin
Wasabi (Eutrema japonicum), also known as Japanese horseradish, is native to Japan, the Russian Far East including Sakhalin, and the Korean Peninsula. It grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. The oldest record of wasabi as food dates to the 8th century AD. Wasabi belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which also includes horseradish and mustard. The plant requires very specific growing conditions - it’s intolerant of direct sunlight, needs air temperatures between 8-20°C (46-68°F), and prefers high humidity in summer, making commercial cultivation extremely challenging and expensive.