Wasabi
A pungent Japanese plant used as a condiment for sushi.
Wasabi (Japanese: ワサビ, わさび, or 山葵, pronounced [waꜜsabi]) or Japanese horseradish (Eutrema japonicum syn. Wasabia japonica) is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and mustard in other genera. The plant is native to Japan, the Russian Far East including Sakhalin, and the Korean Peninsula, and grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. It is grown for its rhizomes, which are ground into a paste as a pungent condiment for sushi and other foods.
- Scientific name
- Eutrema japonicum (syn. Wasabia japonica)
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native range
- Japan, Russian Far East (including Sakhalin), Korean Peninsula
- Culinary use
- Condiment for sushi and other foods
- Key compound
- Allyl isothiocyanate
Lore & Background
The oldest record of wasabi as a food dates to the 8th century. Wasabi flowers appear in clusters from long stems that bloom from late winter to early spring. In Japan, flowering begins in January due to cold temperatures causing vernalization, peaks in April, and ends in May. Seed pods mature 50-60 days after flowering. Wasabi seeds have high dormancy and often fail to germinate; in nature, cold winter temperatures break dormancy, with sprouting beginning in February. The plant has large leaves, 3–6 inches long and wide, with palmate veins.
Reader's Guide
The fresh rhizome is grated into a paste, traditionally using coarse sharkskin or modern metal graters. Fresh wasabi paste loses flavor quickly if left uncovered, so high-end restaurants grate it on the spot. The chemical allyl isothiocyanate provides its initial pungency, stimulating the nose more than the tongue, and is also responsible for the pungency of horseradish and mustard. The unique flavor results from complex chemical mixtures, including various isothiocyanates that inhibit microbial growth. Due to constraints limiting mass cultivation—wasabi is intolerant of direct sunlight, requires air temperatures between 8 and 20 °C, and prefers high humidity in summer—true wasabi is expensive and rare outside Japan. A common substitute is a mixture of horseradish, mustard, starch, and green food coloring or spinach powder. In Japan, horseradish is referred to as 'western wasabi.' The main cultivars are E. japonicum 'Daruma' and 'Mazuma,' but many others exist. Wasabi is normally consumed in such small quantities that its nutritional value is negligible.
Did You Know?
- The oldest record of wasabi as a food dates to the 8th century.
- The chemical allyl isothiocyanate, which provides wasabi's pungency, is also responsible for the pungency of horseradish and mustard.
- Inhaling wasabi vapor has an effect like smelling salts, a property exploited by researchers attempting to create a smoke alarm for the deaf.
- Wasabi seeds have high dormancy and often fail to germinate; in nature, cold winter temperatures break their dormancy.
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