If the " wasabi " the waiter brings out to play along your sushi could talk , it would have a lot of explain to do . First off , that pungent green paste is not the real thing . It ’s not even close . It ’s actually a mixture of European mustard , horseradish and green food emblazon . That ’s because real wasabi is very expensive . ( Onewebsitewas sell a half hammer for $ 85 ) . Even in Japan , it ’s rarified for restaurant to use it .
Wasabi is so expensive because it ’s tough to tame . It like to grow in Japanese mountain natural spring bottom and does n’t do well when grownen massein a greenhouse , although at leastone farmerin the U.S. is successfully doing it .
The part of the wasabi plant that ’s used as a condiment is the rhizome or root - like stem . This is what ’s left after the leaves and shoots are removed . If you ’re lucky enough to go to a restaurant serving the material matter , you ’ll want to have them bring the rootstalk to the mesa along with a grater so the chef can scrape it refreshing . Wasabi starts to recede its kicking around 15 instant after being grated or slew . One writerdescribedthe tasting of fresh wasabi as " substantial and hot , but with no rigorousness and no lasting burn … It tastes unripe , herbal , distinctly plant - similar ( unlike the impersonation interlingual rendition ) . "
When restaurants are trying to keep cost down , they ’ll exchange a horseradish mixture for the wasabi . The cause this works is because both component get their pungency from the same family of compounds called isothiocyanate . However , wasabi has more of these spicy chemical than horseradish does . The video from the American Chemical Society explains more about the chemical substance process .
Scientists are also looking into wasabi ’s medicinal properties . It appears to ease allergic reaction symptoms , defend cancer and inhibit bacterial growing , though more research is needed . The anti - microbic attribute might be why it traditionally accompanies sushi — it ’s a means of countermine any potential ill result of exhaust raw Pisces .
