Updated on November 11th, 2022
If you have never tried wasabi, you’re in for a surprise. It’s a spicy, pungent, herbaceous flavor that hits your palate in a way that feels hot but is not hot at all. The real thing has a very clean flavor that you won’t get from imitations. In addition to being a tangy-spicy condiment, wasabi has a distinctive aroma.
Wasabi comes from the family of plants known as Brassicaceae. This group of plants contains a wide range of delicious foods. However, wasabi is the best choice for those unsure about what to eat. While wasabi isn’t terribly expensive, it can be a bit pricey for your wallet. Try a tiny amount of wasabi for the first time and see if you like it!
What is Wasabi?
Wasabi is best known for its spicy green paste, used as a condiment on all types of sushi. On the other hand, Wasabi can be used to spice up any dish, such as these Wasabi Beef Fajitas. True wasabi is made from the Wasabia japonica plant’s rhizome (a plant stem that grows underground where you’d expect to see a root).
Instead of pepper capsaicin, allyl isothiocyanate provides clean spiciness. (How hot are your favorite peppers according to the Scoville scale?) This is why some people say that when they bite into wasabi, the heat goes “up their nose.” Our nasal passages are densely packed with wasabi scent receptors!
What does Wasabi Taste Like?
If you’ve never tasted wasabi, it’s difficult to describe. The bitter, pungent taste of wasabi can be described as “pungency.” Its flavor is similar to that of horseradish. The spicier variety is more likely to be more expensive, but it’s still worth the money. It starts out hot and ends sweet and is quite addictive. You’ll be addicted to it before you know it.
The best way to experience the real wasabi is to try it yourself. Its strong flavor can be found in the plant’s root, often mashed into a paste and used as a condiment. Although it’s more expensive than its counterparts, the real thing is extremely tasty and can complement almost any type of food, from sushi to seafood. If you’ve never eaten it before, now’s the time to start trying it!
The spiciness of wasabi comes from the horseradish-like flavor found in the fresh leaves of Wasabia japonica. This Japanese plant is native to the country, widely used in cooking and popular for its strong taste and spiciness. You can buy raw wasabi in either a fine powder or a paste form. The powdered variety, however, is unlikely to be the real thing.
Wasabi: How Spicy is it?
Wasabi has a spicy flavor that reminds me of hot mustard. A burning sensation occurs when the chemical allyl isothiocyanate dissolves in your mouth and enters your nose, and this burn will only last a few seconds. Due to higher concentrations of allyl isothiocyanate in powdered wasabi, it is spicier than fresh wasabi.
The chemical compound allyl isothiocyanate is responsible for the spiciness of wasabi. Allyl isothiocyanate is a white powdery substance that oxidizes and burns off its hydrogen atoms to become brown. This process generates heat, responsible for the condiment’s fiery flavor.
Wasabi isn’t your typical spicy condiment. Wasabi, unlike peppers, does not burn your mouth or tongue. Instead, like spicy mustard, it irritates the back of your throat and nose. It’s not uncommon for spicy wasabi to cause your nose to run or tears to stream down your face.
The spiciness of wasabi varies depending on its freshness and whether it is powdered or not. Fresh wasabi is much spicier, and the burning sensation in your nose lasts longer with powdered wasabi. Fresh wasabi’s burning sensation should only last a second or less!
Why does Wasabi have such a Bad Taste?
It tastes awful when wasabi is made from a cheap paste with food coloring and low-quality horseradish. The flavor of real wasabi is smooth and refined, with only a slight spiciness.
If you think wasabi tastes bad, it’s because you’ve only tried paste-based wasabi. This paste isn’t even called wasabi because it’s not made with Japanese horseradish and contains a variety of additives. Before passing judgment, you must try real wasabi, made by grating fresh Japanese horseradish.
Is it a Spice or a Vegetable?
True wasabi is made by peeling the wasabi plant’s root and grating it with a special studded ceramic grater, which turns it into a paste. Wasabi is a vegetable in the strictest sense of the word. However, the same root can be turned into a spice by drying it and grinding it into a powder. So the powder form is a cheap spice that isn’t true wasabi, whereas the real root is a fresher, milder, and fragrant vegetable. It’s a costly one.
The third type of wasabi is available in a tube and is made from real wasabi root that has been dried, ground, and reconstituted with various stabilizers and seasonings. While it isn’t cheap (around $10 per tube), it is a good compromise between powdered not-really-wasabi and the expensive real root.
Is it Possible to Tell the Difference Between Genuine and Fake Wasabi?
If you want to tell the difference between real and fake wasabi, look at the sauce’s texture first.
Wasabi is made from horseradish when it becomes rich and pasty. It’s more likely to be real wasabi than fake if freshly grated wasabi has a gritty texture.
Shredded wasabi is always served fresh because it quickly loses its zingy flavor.
In a high-end sushi restaurant, the chefs would meticulously grate the perfect amount of this plant to eat with the sushi and complement the fish’s flavor.
To keep it as fresh as possible, it’s frequently wedged between the nigari sushi topping and rice to keep it as fresh as possible.
If you see a chef grating something green every fifteen minutes, it’s almost certainly real wasabi.
What is the Composition of Fake Wasabi?
The majority of wasabi paste is fake! Horseradish, mustard, cornstarch, and green food coloring make fake wasabi.
A small amount of real grated wasabi or dried wasabi powder is occasionally added to the mustard mixture.
It has a flavor similar to real wasabi but without the pungency and “heat.”
If you’ve ever had sushi and thought the wasabi was bland or tasteless, you were likely eating fake wasabi!
Is it True that Real Wasabi Tastes Better?
The flavor of real wasabi is much smoother than that of wasabi paste. Wasabi isn’t overly spicy, and the heat only lasts a few seconds. Real wasabi brings out the subtle flavor of raw fish without overpowering it.
Wasabi paste is unquestionably inferior to real wasabi. Real wasabi is silky smooth, with a bright, energizing flavor that enhances the flavor of nigiri. The slight kick you get from real wasabi in your nose is pleasant and only lasts a second before dissipating.
Is Wasabi Really that Hot?
Wasabi burns your sinuses a little, but it doesn’t burn the front of your tongue or the roof of your mouth like other spicy sauces do. As I previously stated, the spiciness and heat don’t last long. A small amount of heat will be felt in your sinuses, but it will quickly dissipate.
Wasabi can’t be measured on the Scoville scale, which compares the heat levels of various chili peppers. The Scoville scale isn’t a good measurement for wasabi because it’s a root, not a chili.
Wasabi has many characteristics of spicy food, including a spicy aroma, but its spiciness is comparable to that of jalapenos and isn’t as strong.
How much does Genuine Wasabi set you back?
A pound of real wasabi costs $75. Wasabi is so expensive because it is extremely difficult to grow, as it only grows near streams in mountain valleys. Wasabi can only be grown in Japan, though some companies have attempted to grow it in the United States and even the United Kingdom, with mixed results.
Wasabi is one of the priciest vegetables on the market. Many sushi fans in the West have never tried real wasabi. Wasabi is so expensive because it can only be grown in certain conditions near mountain streams. Wasabi will only grow between 1300 and 2500 meters above sea level, and it will die if the air temperature is below 8 degrees Celsius or above 20 degrees Celsius.
If you can’t afford this opulent vegetable, don’t fret! Wasabi paste can also be used to make your own wasabi. Simply combine 3 teaspoons of wasabi powder with 1 teaspoon of water in a small mixing bowl. Mix until everything is well combined. Depending on the thickness you desire, you can add more or less water. Wasabi powder can be found in the Asian food section of most supermarkets. For $5, you can get a large packet of wasabi powder.
Why is Wasabi used in Sushi?
Wasabi is used in sushi for a variety of reasons.
Sushi uses wasabi because it complements the flavor of raw fish. Wasabi’s sharp, pungent flavor helps balance out the fishiness of sushi. Wasabi has antibacterial properties, and Wasabi’s heat can help kill any bacteria present in raw fish.
Wasabi’s anti-microbial agent, “6-methyl sulfinyl hexyl isothiocyanate,” is effective against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Wasabi is a must-have ingredient in sushi for these reasons!
Is Wasabi Suitable for Vegans?
The great thing about genuine Wasabi is that vegans can consume it. Wasabi is a plant, and the paste usually only contains wasabi. So, if you come across authentic wasabi, it’s safe to eat for vegans.
However, the issue with obtaining authentic wasabi is that it is costly. So many restaurants and grocery store bottles of wasabi aren’t actually made from the wasabi plant. Instead, they use horseradish, vegan mustard, and green food coloring to mimic the flavor of wasabi.
The majority of wasabi replicas are still vegan. When looking at most ingredients, there are no animal products. However, a few brands did contain milk, indicating that the paste was not considered vegan. You should be cautious when eating it because many restaurants use ‘fake wasabi.’ Although most ‘fake wasabi’ pastes are vegan, a small percentage contain animal products.
To avoid any misunderstanding, if you can get your hands on genuine wasabi paste, you can eat it guilt-free because it is vegan. If you’re going to a restaurant and want to order wasabi, make sure to inquire about the vegan status of the wasabi paste. When buying wasabi paste at the supermarket, double-check the ingredients to see if it contains any animal products.
How to Consume Wasabi?
There are several ways to consume wasabi. A little bit of the dried powder is packaged in a small canister. It doesn’t require refrigeration and will last the longest but will start to lose its potency after six months. To make a paste, simply mix it with a little water. It’s easy to find it in the Asian foods aisle of your local supermarket. The powder is available in many flavors and can be bought at your local Asian market.
Wasabi can be used as a condiment or as a seasoning, and its mild flavor is good with fish and vegetables. In addition to being a condiment, wasabi can also be used in salad dressings. Its unique spiciness is often used in Japanese cooking. The spicier the wasabi, the more potent the dish is. If you can stomach it, wasabi is great for cooking and seasoning.
Conclusion
Real wasabi comes from a root called Wasabia Japonica. In the United States, it’s often called horseradish because it’s much cheaper to grow than Wasabia Japonica. Its taste is a bit more pungent than horseradish, and you’ll have to find a way to identify it if you’re not familiar with it. In any case, the true wasabi tastes a lot like a pungent green horseradish.
You can buy wasabi in many forms. You can get it as a paste by peeling and grating the plant’s root. It is not the same as the powder you can buy in the store, and it tastes herbal and is much less sharp than horseradish. Those who are a little more adventurous can try it in various recipes. There are many ways to enjoy wasabi, and it isn’t hard to find it at your local supermarket.
