Most wasabi that you get in sushi restaurants is actually not real wasabi. It’s a blend of horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring. Real wasabi is very rare and expensive which is why restaurants opt for the fake stuff.
Most wasabi that you get in sushi restaurants is actually not real wasabi. It’s a blend of horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring. Real wasabi is very rare and expensive which is why restaurants opt for the fake stuff.
Now I wonder if I’d like the real one cuz I hate the one from sushi restaurants
KenseiHimura on
Partly because real Wasabi has some specific growing conditions if I recall. I doubt urbanization helped but even before I think it tended to grow around streams in mountains.
star_particles on
Real wasabi is super mild and tasty I love it.
SilentSpader on
I love real wasabi. We used to be able to buy one around 500-700 yen before Covid. It’s about 3000-5000 yen now. It’s insane how how much more increased.
Tranecarid on
Just a week ago I ate the real stuff (grated in front of me!) for the first time. It tasted surprisingly close to the fake thing, but at the same time it was different enough in a very nuanced way that if was filthy rich I would get rid of the wasabi powder from my kitchen. It’s the most expensive plant on the market, because it’s hard to grow and it grows insanely slowly (it takes years for it to be ready for harvest and the chef used three to serve six people). If I remember correctly, in Europe there are only about 6 plantations.
Johnny-infinity on
In Yunnan in China you can get real wasabi very very cheap, only several dollars for a whole stick.
ToastedSlider on
I live in Korea. I wonder if ours is fake too.
Mr_Lumbergh on
I’ve had the real only once or twice. It’s good, but I’ve gotten so used to fake that it’s my preference.
OrangeClyde on
I hate horseradish and (fake) wasabi flavored things. I just forced myself to finish and not waste an entire bag of wasabi edamames and it was so bad 😭 I don’t know what possessed me to buy them when I knew I hated wasabi peas
kurangak on
not only rare and expensive.
real wasabi lose their flavor within minutes of being grated.
wulfgangz on
No wonder I’ve never liked wasabi
Mad-Mel on
You can tell the difference because it’s hot like LeAnn Rimes.
Puzzleheaded-Bid8463 on
Wow news of the week
scottfreckle63 on
Why are these places allowed to call it wasabi if that’s not what it is? I thought anything had to contain some of what it’s described as being to be legal?
Spukc on
No it’s not
ThisIsMyRedditAcct20 on
Almost like Jeremy Clarkson covered this 5+ years ago
Krocsyldiphithic on
Having real wasabi readily available is one of the things keeping me in Japan.
siraolo on
It’s not as rare nowadays with China and other parts of the world now able to produce it with comparable quality
Skellyhell2 on
I got to try real fresh wasabi in Izu last year. the process of grating the root into paste was awkward, and the taste compared to restaurant wasabi was noticeable. much more smoky burny taste, not something i would go out of my way to have the real deal
jaredearle on
The fake stuff tastes fine, though.
pinniped90 on
You can often ask for the real stuff and they’ll grate it at your table.
(Proper sushi restaurants only. The gas station attendant won’t be able to do this.)
Cleveland5teamer on
Well in that case, wasabi and roast beef it is!
gaynorg on
Real wasabi is not even that good. It’s totally not worth it and you wouldn’t notice if you got the real stuff. I have had it both in Japan all over the place and from a wasabi farm in England more than once. Honestly don’t bother with it.
Renbarre on
TIL that there was another kind of wasabi that horseradish based.
baelrog on
Wait, so wasabi isn’t just mustard in Japanese?
I always thought it is some kind of mustard that happens to be green because climate and stuff bring different in Japan.
Doesn’t help when the Chinese language call mustard and wasabi the same thing.
26 Comments
I feel cheated ! But yeah it’s so expensive
Now I wonder if I’d like the real one cuz I hate the one from sushi restaurants
Partly because real Wasabi has some specific growing conditions if I recall. I doubt urbanization helped but even before I think it tended to grow around streams in mountains.
Real wasabi is super mild and tasty I love it.
I love real wasabi. We used to be able to buy one around 500-700 yen before Covid. It’s about 3000-5000 yen now. It’s insane how how much more increased.
Just a week ago I ate the real stuff (grated in front of me!) for the first time. It tasted surprisingly close to the fake thing, but at the same time it was different enough in a very nuanced way that if was filthy rich I would get rid of the wasabi powder from my kitchen. It’s the most expensive plant on the market, because it’s hard to grow and it grows insanely slowly (it takes years for it to be ready for harvest and the chef used three to serve six people). If I remember correctly, in Europe there are only about 6 plantations.
In Yunnan in China you can get real wasabi very very cheap, only several dollars for a whole stick.
I live in Korea. I wonder if ours is fake too.
I’ve had the real only once or twice. It’s good, but I’ve gotten so used to fake that it’s my preference.
I hate horseradish and (fake) wasabi flavored things. I just forced myself to finish and not waste an entire bag of wasabi edamames and it was so bad 😭 I don’t know what possessed me to buy them when I knew I hated wasabi peas
not only rare and expensive.
real wasabi lose their flavor within minutes of being grated.
No wonder I’ve never liked wasabi
You can tell the difference because it’s hot like LeAnn Rimes.
Wow news of the week
Why are these places allowed to call it wasabi if that’s not what it is? I thought anything had to contain some of what it’s described as being to be legal?
No it’s not
Almost like Jeremy Clarkson covered this 5+ years ago
Having real wasabi readily available is one of the things keeping me in Japan.
It’s not as rare nowadays with China and other parts of the world now able to produce it with comparable quality
I got to try real fresh wasabi in Izu last year. the process of grating the root into paste was awkward, and the taste compared to restaurant wasabi was noticeable. much more smoky burny taste, not something i would go out of my way to have the real deal
The fake stuff tastes fine, though.
You can often ask for the real stuff and they’ll grate it at your table.
(Proper sushi restaurants only. The gas station attendant won’t be able to do this.)
Well in that case, wasabi and roast beef it is!
Real wasabi is not even that good. It’s totally not worth it and you wouldn’t notice if you got the real stuff. I have had it both in Japan all over the place and from a wasabi farm in England more than once. Honestly don’t bother with it.
TIL that there was another kind of wasabi that horseradish based.
Wait, so wasabi isn’t just mustard in Japanese?
I always thought it is some kind of mustard that happens to be green because climate and stuff bring different in Japan.
Doesn’t help when the Chinese language call mustard and wasabi the same thing.