   #copyright

Wasabi

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Plants

                     iWasabi
   Wasabi crop growing on Japan's Izu peninsula
   Wasabi crop growing on Japan's Izu peninsula
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Plantae
   Division: Magnoliophyta
   Class:    Magnoliopsida
   Order:    Brassicales
   Family:   Brassicaceae
   Genus:    Wasabia
   Species:  W. japonica

                                Binomial name

   Wasabia japonica
   Matsum.

   Wasabi ( Japanese: ワサビ, 山葵 (originally written 和佐比) ; Wasabia japonica,
   Cochlearia wasabi, or Eutrema japonica) is a member of the cabbage
   family. Known as Japanese horseradish, its root is used as a spice and
   has an extremely strong flavour. Its hotness is more akin to that of a
   hot mustard than a chili pepper, producing vapors that burn the nasal
   passages rather 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 var. Duruma and Mazuma, but there are
   many others.

Uses

   Wasabi is generally sold either in the form of a root, which must be
   very finely grated before use, or as a ready-to-use paste, usually in
   tubes approximately the size and shape of travel toothpaste tubes. Once
   the paste is prepared it should remain covered until served to protect
   the flavor from evaporation. 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. They can be eaten as wasabi salad by pickling
   overnight with a salt and vinegar based dressing, or by quickly boiling
   them with a little soy sauce. Additionally, the leaves can be battered
   and deep-fried into chips.

   Fortunately for those who mistakenly consume too much of this
   condiment, the burning sensations it can induce are short-lived
   compared to the effects of chili peppers, especially when water is used
   to dissipate the flavor. Wasabi paste bears a superficial resemblance
   to guacamole, a popular staple of Mexican-style cuisine, a similarity
   which can lead to an unpleasant surprise for those unfamiliar with
   Japanese cuisine.

   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. Wasabi peas and peanuts are growing in
   popularity, most notably in the United States. These legumes are
   roasted or fried, then coated with a wasabi-like mixture (usually an
   imitation). These are then eaten as an eye-watering "in the hand"
   snack.

   Wasabi-like flavoring is also used in Frito-Lay's Funyuns.

Wasabi and imitations

   A tube of wasabi
   Enlarge
   A tube of wasabi

   Almost all sushi bars in America, and most in Japan, serve imitation
   (seiyō) wasabi (see Etymology section, below) because the real product
   is relatively more expensive. True wasabi is made from the wasabi plant
   but wasabi is also made from horseradish, mustard seed, and green food
   coloring (sometimes spirulina), often as a powder to be mixed with
   water to make a paste. Since real wasabi loses its flavor if dried, its
   presence as an ingredient in some powders is of questionable value. To
   distinguish between the true variety of wasabi and the imitation
   product, real wasabi is known in Japan as hon-wasabi (本山葵), meaning
   original, or true wasabi.

Chemistry

   The chemicals in wasabi that provide its unique flavor are the
   isothiocyanates, including:
     * 6-methylthiohexyl isothiocyanate,
     * 7-methylthioheptyl isothiocyanate and
     * 8-methylthiooctyl isothiocyanate.

   Research has shown that isothiocyanates have beneficial effects such as
   inhibiting microbe growth. This may partially explain why wasabi is
   traditionally served with seafood, which spoils quickly. However, if
   the quality of one's seafood is questionable, one should not eat it
   raw, with or without wasabi. It is not a treatment for food poisoning.

Cultivation

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

   Since few places are suitable for large-scale wasabi cultivation, and
   because such cultivation is difficult even in ideal conditions, most of
   the "wasabi" served today is really just European horseradish dyed
   green, or a mix of horseradish with black mustard and chlorophyll for
   the same effect. In Japan, wasabi is cultivated mainly in these
   regions:
     * Izu peninsula
     * Nagano prefecture
     * Shimane prefecture
     * Yamanashi prefecture
     * Iwate prefecture

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

   Without proper regulation, wasabi cultivation can be a major pollutant
   to rivers as it usually requires fertilizer such as chicken manure and
   constantly flowing water.

Preparation

   Wasabi on metal oroshigane
   Enlarge
   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. Because fresh wasabi can be rather
   costly many restaurants prefer to use a powder mix substitute.

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 hollyhock, as the plant's leaves
   resemble those of a member of the Malvaceae family, 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.

   In Japanese, horseradish is known as seiyō wasabi (西洋ワサビ, seiyō wasabi^
   ?), or "Western wasabi".

In popular culture

     * Wasabi has inspired a song, "Wasabi Kiss" ("山葵ＫＩＳＳ!"), by
       Belgo-Japanese-Vietnamese music project Awaken.

     * The line "Hot like Wasabi" was used in the Barenaked Ladies song
       "One Week."

     * Australian Idol contestant, Lee Harding's first CD single was
       titled " Wasabi/Eye of the Tiger" and hit #1 in Australia in 2005

     * In Jackass: The Movie, one of Steve-O's stunts was to snort wasabi,
       which resulted in vomiting.

     * Indie group Cibo Matto has a song entitled " Sci-Fi Wasabi."

     * Wasabi is a 2001 French movie produced by Luc Besson and starring
       Jean Reno.

     * Budweiser beer ran a series of advertisements where their slogan
       "Whazzzzzup" was met with a "Wasabi" in reply.

   That commercial had a small explosion among schools and teens using the
   word with double Ses instead of implying the food, meaning "What's
   up?". I.E. Wassabi!
     * Wasabi was also referred to in Lemony Snicket's eleventh book " The
       Grim Grotto" in " A Series of Unfortunate Events". It was used to
       dilute a powerful poison afflicting Sunny Baudelaire. Wasabi is
       also mentioned in the same context in The End.

     * In Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Newt drives a
       small Japanese car called a Wasabi.

     * In November 2005, in Alhambra, California, a dog breeder, whose
       golden retriever had given birth to a puppy with green fur, named
       the puppy "Wasabi" in honour of the plant (
       http://www.local6.com/news/5290491/detail.html).

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
