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{{nihongo|'''Wasabi'''|ワサビ（山葵）||originally {{lang|ja|和佐比}}; ''Wasabia japonica'', ''Cochlearia wasabi'', or ''Eutrema japonica''}} is a member of the [[Brassicaceae]] family, which includes [[cabbage]]s, [[horseradish]], and [[Mustard plant|mustard]]. Known as "Japanese horseradish", its root is used as a [[condiment]] and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot [[Mustard (condiment)|mustard]] rather than the [[capsaicin]] in a [[chili pepper]], producing vapors that stimulate the [[nose|nasal passages]] more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. There are also other species used, such as ''W. koreana'', and ''W. tetsuigi''. The two main [[cultivar]]s in the marketplace are ''W. japonica'' cv. 'Daruma' and cv. 'Mazuma', but there are many others.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=lZD95wlLhxIC&pg=PA57&dq=Daruma+mazuma#v=onepage&q=Daruma%20mazuma|title= the Best Of Growing Edge International 2000-2005|last=Growing Edge|page=57|publisher= New Moon Publishing |isbn=978-0-944557-05-1|year=2005}}</ref>
{{nihongo|'''Wasabi'''|ワサビ（山葵）||originally {{lang|ja|和佐比}}; ''Wasabia japonica'', ''Cochlearia wasabi'', or ''Eutrema japonica''}} is a member of the [[Brassicaceae]] family, which includes [[cabbage]]s, [[horseradish]], and [[Mustard plant|mustard]]. Known as "Japanese horseradish", its root is used as a [[condiment]] and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot [[Mustard (condiment)|mustard]] rather than the [[capsaicin]] in a [[chili pepper]], producing vapors that stimulate the [[nose|nasal passages]] more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. There are also other species used, such as ''W. koreana'', and ''W. tetsuigi''. The two main [[cultivar]]s in the marketplace are ''W. japonica'' cv. 'Daruma' and cv. 'Mazuma', but there are many others.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=lZD95wlLhxIC&pg=PA57&dq=Daruma+mazuma#v=onepage&q=Daruma%20mazuma|title= the Best Of Growing Edge International 2000-2005|last=Growing Edge|page=57|publisher= New Moon Publishing |isbn=978-0-944557-05-1|year=2005}}</ref>


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==Uses==
[[File:Wasabi by EverJean in Nishiki-ichiba, Kyoto.jpg|thumb|Fresh wasabi root for sale at [[Nishiki Market]] in [[Kyoto]]]]
Wasabi is generally sold either in the form of a [[root]] which is very finely grated before use, or as a ready-to-use paste (either real wasabi or a mixture of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring), usually in tubes approximately the size and shape of travel [[toothpaste]] tubes.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=wIOcYVPYfkAC&pg=PT228&dq=toothpaste#v=onepage&q=toothpaste|title=The connoisseur's guide to sushi: everything you need to know about sushi|first=Dave |last=Lowry|publisher=The Harvard Common Press|year=2005|isbn=1-55832-307-0|page=205}}</ref> In some restaurants the paste is usually prepared as needed by the customer using the root and a grater directly; once the paste is prepared, it will lose flavor within 15 minutes.<ref>http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/88/8812sci4.html</ref> In [[sushi]] preparation, covering wasabi until served preserves flavor, and for this reason, sushi chefs usually put the wasabi between the fish and the rice.

Fresh leaves of wasabi can also be eaten and have some of the hot flavor of wasabi roots.

Because the burning sensations of wasabi are not oil-based, they are short-lived compared to the effects of [[chili pepper]]s, and are easily washed away with another bite of food or liquid. The sensation is felt primarily in the nasal passage and can be quite painful depending on amount taken.

Inhaling or sniffing wasabi vapor has an effect like [[smelling salts]], and this property has been exploited by researchers attempting to create a smoke alarm for the deaf. One deaf subject participating in a test of the prototype awoke within 10 seconds of wasabi vapor being sprayed into his sleeping chamber.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wasabi Silent Fire Alarm Alerts the Deaf with the Power of Scent|url=http://inventorspot.com/articles/wasabi_silent_fire_alarm_alerts__11514|publisher=InvestorSpot|author= Levenstein, Steve }}</ref>

Wasabi is often served with [[sushi]] or [[sashimi]], usually accompanied with soy sauce. The two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. Due to the expense and difficulty of cultivating wasabi, a very widely used substitute (imitation wasabi) is a mixture of (western) horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring; in American sushi restaurants this is generally referred to as "wasabi", while genuine wasabi, which is rarely available, is referred to as "fresh wasabi". Similarly, when wasabi is sold in tubes, the contents may be genuine wasabi, or it may be horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring, or it may be a mixture of the two. In Japan, horseradish is referred to as {{nihongo3|"western wasabi"|西洋わさび|seiyō wasabi}}.<ref>[http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-items/sushi-items-wasabi.htm The Sushi FAQ - Sushi Items - Wasabi]</ref>

[[File:Canada-wasabi-green-peas.jpg|left|thumb|Wasabi [[pea]]s.]][[Legume]]s ([[peanut]]s, [[soybeans]], or [[peas]]) may be roasted or fried, then coated with wasabi powder mixed with sugar, salt, or oil and eaten as a crunchy snack.


==Chemistry==
==Chemistry==

Revision as of 16:29, 13 December 2010

For other uses, see Wasabi (disambiguation).

Wasabi
Wasabi crop growing on Japan's Izu peninsula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Brassicales
Family:
Brassicaceae
Genus:
Wasabia
Species:
W. japonica
Binomial name
Wasabia japonica

Wasabi (ワサビ（山葵）, originally 和佐比; Wasabia japonica, Cochlearia wasabi, or Eutrema japonica) is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Known as "Japanese horseradish", its root is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapors that stimulate the nasal passages more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. There are also other species used, such as W. koreana, and W. tetsuigi. The two main cultivars in the marketplace are W. japonica cv. 'Daruma' and cv. 'Mazuma', but there are many others.[1]

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Chemistry

The chemicals in wasabi that provide its unique flavor are the isothiocyanates, including:[2]

  • 6-methylthiohexyl isothiocyanate,
  • 7-methylthioheptyl isothiocyanate and
  • 8-methylthiooctyl isothiocyanate.

Research has shown that isothiocyanates have beneficial effects such as inhibiting microbe growth.[3]

Cultivation

A drawing of a wasabi plant, published in 1828 by Iwasaki Kanen

Few places are suitable for large-scale wasabi cultivation, and cultivation is difficult even in ideal conditions. In Japan, wasabi is cultivated mainly in these regions:

There are also numerous artificially cultivated facilities as far north as Hokkaidō and as far south as Kyūshū. As the demand for real wasabi is very high, Japan has to import a large amount of it from Mainland China, Ali Mountain of Taiwan, and New Zealand.

In North America, a handful of companies and small farmers are successfully pursuing the trend by cultivating Wasabia japonica. While only the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains provide the right balance of climate and water for natural cultivation of sawa (water grown) wasabi, the use of hydroponics and greenhouses has extended the range.

While the finest sawa wasabi is grown in pure, constantly flowing water, without pesticides or fertilizers, some growers push growth with fertilizer such as chicken manure, which can be a source of downstream pollution if not properly managed.

Preparation

Wasabi on metal oroshigane

Wasabi is often grated with a metal oroshigane, but some prefer to use a more traditional tool made of dried sharkskin (鮫皮) with fine skin on one side and coarse skin on the other. A hand-made grater with irregular teeth can also be used. If a shark-skin grater is unavailable, ceramic is usually preferred.[4]

Etymology

The two kanji characters "山" and "葵" do not correspond to their pronunciation: as such it is an example of gikun. The two characters actually refer to the mountain Asarum, as the plant's leaves resemble those of a member of Asarum species, in addition to its ability to grow on shady hillsides. The word, in the form 和佐比, first appeared in 918 in The Japanese Names of Medical Herbs (本草和名 Honzō Wamyō). Spelled in this way, the particular kanji are used for their phonetic values only, known as ateji.

See also

References

  1. ^ Growing Edge (2005). the Best Of Growing Edge International 2000-2005. New Moon Publishing. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-944557-05-1.
  2. ^ Allen, Gary (2007). The Herbalist in the Kitchen. University of Illinois Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-252-03162-5.
  3. ^ Zeuthen, P.; Bøgh-Sørensen, Leif (2003). Food preservation techniques. Woodhead Publishing Limited. p. 12. ISBN 1-85573-530-X.
  4. ^ Andoh, Elizabeth; Beisch, Leigh (2005). Washoku: recipes from the Japanese home kitchen. Ten Speed Press. p. 71. ISBN 1-58008-519-9.

Further reading

Wikispecies has information related to Wasabia japonica.
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eutrema japonicum.
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