Seeing Green
June 24, 2005
There are certain things in life that we always want seconds of: A second date, a second chance … or even a second piece of pie.
Most times, these good things come in abundance and their endorphin-raising qualities may cause us to overindulge. At other times, we are only given a little, making us chase after the proverbial carrot. So, is it better to get too much of a good thing or too little of a good thing?
It seems this questions pops into my head whenever I’m at a Japanese restaurant. I’m not talking about how big the futomaki is or how many edamame pods come in an order, but rather, how little wasabi I get with my food. It seems I’m always flagging down the servers for more of the green stuff.
I always wonder why wasabi comes in such stingy portions. It got me thinking, is it a valued ingredient like truffles, or are sushi and sashimi not meant to be eaten with globs of wasabi?
Wasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish, isn’t really horseradish –– even though they share the same nasal-passage clearing attributes. (Scientifically, it’s a different species of the family to which the mustard plant belongs.)
The wasabi root is native to Japan, where it grows beside mountain streams. The leaves, flowers, stems and rhizomes (roots) are edible and are all used to make a Japanese pickle (wasabi-zuke). Real wasabi comes from scraping off the tough outer skin of the rhizome and grating it at the root, creating a vivid green product. The pungent root delivers a refreshing radish-like taste, and carries a subtle spiciness that isn’t as overpowering as powdered wasabi. Since fresh wasabi rhizomes aren’t available at the local supermarket, dried versions are available at most Asian markets.
Dried, powdered wasabi is similar to mustard powder, but loses its potency once exposed to air. (It’s best to buy the smallest can.) Wasabi paste in tube form, unfortunately, has the least intense flavor.
So knowing that the powdered version of hon-wasabi (real Japanese grated wasabi) is readily available here in the States, why don’t restaurants offer wasabi like taquerias offer buckets of salsa? Is it really like a truffle, where a little goes a long way?
What I found out was that most powdered wasabi (which is what is mainly served at Japanese restaurants) is made mainly from seiyo-wasabi, western horseradish powder, mustard powder and food coloring. It’s cheaper and more convenient.
That means the majority of wasabi that we’ve eaten all these years have in fact been western horseradish powder dressed up with FD & C Blue and Yellow No. 5 to look like hon-wasabi.
To truly know the difference between hon-wasabi and wasabi, I suggest you find a good Japanese sushi restaurant and try real wasabi for once. The first thing you’ll notice is that the green paste won’t cause a rocket to launch in your nasal cavity. Remember that real wasabi is less jarring to the nose. Or, you can go to a Japanese market to find a dried version of wasabi (but be sure that the ingredients don’t contain anything other than wasabi).
But I shouldn’t complain, since hon-wasabi is rare and pricey, I can only imagine what the cost of sushi would be if hon-wasabi were served at every Japanese restaurant.
Wasabi powders and pastes can be found at Asian markets as well as regular supermarkets.
So, don’t be afraid to ask for more wasabi the next time you’re at a Japanese restaurant. But also remember not to drown a good cut of fatty tuna or yellowtail with a golf ball-sized serving of horseradish and Yellow No. 5. Remember, you’re there for the fish, not the wasabi. Seconds are good, but not if it covers up the real good thing.
I tasted three commercial wasabi brought from Asian markets and a grocery chain. Interestingly enough, the tube of wasabi from the grocery chain is actually the brand that most Japanese prefer. The other two were powdered wasabi, which was mixed with horseradish, spirulina and food coloring.
S&B Prepared Wasabi in Tube
S&B also makes a powdered form of wasabi. The ingredients listed include horseradish, corn oil, salt, turmeric, sorbitol, artificial flavor and colors. Perhaps I’m tasting all the salt and flavorings, but the wasabi wasn’t too overpowering, and the addition of sorbitol added a slight sweetness to the paste. The consistency is more fluid and retains more moisture.
Hime Brand
Powdered Sushi Wasabi
Wasabi powder has a very light, lime green color, but after you mix it with water, the green eventually appears. How thick or dry you want your wasabi depends on how much water you add, but the rule of thumb is usually equal parts of each. (You’re going for a firm, clay-like consistency.) The most important step is to allow the paste to sit for at least 10 minutes, covered with a dish to prevent the paste from drying out.
This wasabi is overpowering, much more pungent than the S&B, but mixed in with soy sauce, it was tolerable. (Among one of the ingredients, spirulina, that green seaweed that health- and yoga-nuts down like water.)
Hime Brand
Horseradish Powder
The same company also markets this wasabi, but labels it as horseradish powder. I detected a light salty, seaweed taste to this one. Out of the three, this one was the most overpowering. It may have been that I needed to let it sit to let the flavors meld and mellow out.
Reach the Picky Eater at pickyeater@asianweek.com.
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