Have You Ever Wondered...
- What is wasabi?
- Have you ever eaten wasabi?
- What does wasabi taste like?
Tags:
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- Food,
- Plants,
- Science,
- Sushi,
- Flavor,
- Asian,
- Spicy,
- Green,
- Paste,
- Wasabi,
- Plant,
- Wasabia Japonica,
- Eutrema Wasabi,
- Spring,
- River,
- Japan,
- China,
- Taiwan,
- Korea,
- New Zealand,
- Expensive,
- Stem,
- Rhizome,
- Grated,
- Isothiocyanates,
- Hot,
- Vapor,
- Pepper,
- Nose,
- Nasal,
- Passage,
- Sweet,
- Aftertaste,
- United States,
- Horseradish,
- Powder,
- Mustard,
- Cornstarch,
- Food Coloring
When it's time for dinner, what do you hope to see on the dinner table? Fried chicken? Roast and potatoes? Pizza? Spaghetti and meatballs? How about raw fish, vegetables, and rice?
If you're a fan of sushi, then raw fish, vegetables, and rice might be at the top of your list. Kids and adults alike enjoy the many flavors of the Asian delicacy known as sushi.
If you've ever had sushi, then there's a good chance you've also tried a spicy green paste that usually accompanies sushi. What are we talking about? Wasabi, of course!
Wasabi tends to go with sushi like ketchup goes with French fries. It isn't red and sweet, though. Instead, it's a green paste that packs a spicy, pungent punch.
Real wasabi comes from the wasabi plant, known by different names, such as Wasabia japonica and Eutrema wasabi. It grows naturally in cold, wet areas under tree cover, such as natural springs and rivers in deep valleys in Japan. It's rare to find wasabi plants outside Japan, although they have been found in places like China, Taiwan, Korea, and New Zealand.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to reproduce the unique combination of conditions that wasabi plants thrive in. It can also take wasabi plants up to three years to reach maturity. As a result, wasabi is considered by many experts to be the most difficult plant to grow commercially.
This fact makes real wasabi expensive. A pound can cost approximately $100. A serving of real wasabi with your sushi can add $3-$5 to your bill.
To make real wasabi, the root-like stems (called rhizomes) of the plant are grated with a circular motion. Doing so creates a green paste and releases isothiocyanates, which create a hot vapor. Real wasabi must be served immediately upon grating, because it loses its spicy flavor within 15-20 minutes.
If you've ever had real wasabi, you know that it's hot, but it's not hot like hot peppers, for example. Instead of hitting the mouth, wasabi's heat mainly affects the nose and nasal passages. Unlike the lingering heat of hot peppers, wasabi's heat tends to dissipate quickly, leaving a lingering sweet aftertaste.
You may have noticed that we've been talking about "real" wasabi up to this point. Is there such a thing as "fake" wasabi? Unfortunately, there is. In fact, most of the wasabi consumed in the United States isn't made from real wasabi plants. Some experts believe that only about 5% of the wasabi served in restaurants around the world is real wasabi.
Because wasabi plants are so difficult to grow and real wasabi is so expensive as a result, most of the wasabi consumed in the U.S. and many other areas around the world is fake. What's it made of? Most fake wasabi is a mixture of horseradish powder, mustard powder, cornstarch, and green food coloring.
This combination of ingredients seeks to imitate the taste and spiciness of real wasabi. In reality, it ends up being hotter and spicier, affecting the tongue and mouth rather than the nose. Real wasabi tends to be smoother and milder.
Wonder What's Next?
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Try It Out
Are you ready to learn more about wasabi? Don't forget to check out the following activities with a friend or family member:
- Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a field trip to a local grocery store. Search the aisles to see what types of wasabi you can find. Also take some time to search for other products flavored with wasabi, such as wasabi peas. If possible, purchase some wasabi to try at home.
- Can't find any wasabi at the store? Why not make it at home? With either fresh wasabi or a variety of substitute ingredients, you can learn How To Make Wasabi online. Be sure to get help from an adult family member or friend in the kitchen!
- Wasabi is often eaten with sushi like ketchup is eaten with French Fries. In that sense, it's very much like a condiment. What other condiments do you use on a regular basis? Check the door of your refrigerator at home. You might find ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and a variety of other condiments. Which ones do you prefer? Which foods do you like to put them on?
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Wonder Contributors
We’d like to thank:
Tishelle and Sebastian
for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!
Keep WONDERing with us!
Wonder Words
- punch
- thrive
- pound
- stem
- fake
- taste
- delicacy
- pungent
- conditions
- maturity
- rhizome
- expensive
- accompanies
- reproduce
- combination
- commercially
- immediately
- lingering
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