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Wasabi
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Main page For other uses, see Wasabi (disambiguation).

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Wasabi (Japanese: ワサビ, わ さび, or 山葵, pronounced [ɰaꜜsabi]; Eutrema japonicum or Wasabia Wasabi
japonica)[1] or Japanese horseradish[2] is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also
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includes horseradish and mustard in other genera. A paste made from its ground rhizomes is
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Contact us used as a pungent condiment for sushi and other foods. It is similar in taste to hot mustard or
Donate horseradish rather than chili peppers in that it stimulates the nose more than the tongue. Most
wasabi flavoring in commerce is, however, ersatz, based on horseradish and food coloring.
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The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. The two main
Help
Learn to edit cultivars in the marketplace are E. japonicum 'Daruma' and 'Mazuma', but there are many
Community portal others.[3] The oldest record of wasabi as a food dates to the 8th century AD.[4] The popularity of
Recent changes wasabi in English-speaking countries has coincided with that of sushi, growing steadily starting in Scientific classification
Upload file about 1980.[5]
Kingdom: Plantae
Tools Due to issues that limit the Japanese wasabi plant's mass cultivation and thus increase its price Clade: Tracheophytes
What links here and decreased availability outside Japan, the western horseradish plant is generally used in
Clade: Angiosperms
Related changes place of the Japanese horseradish. This version is commonly referred to as "western wasabi" (西
Special pages Clade: Eudicots
洋山葵) in Japan.
Permanent link Clade: Rosids
Page information Contents [hide]
Order: Brassicales
Cite this page
1 Uses
Wikidata item Family: Brassicaceae
2 Surrogates
Genus: Eutrema
Print/export 3 Chemistry
Species: E. japonicum
Download as PDF 4 Nutritional information

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 Printable version 5 Cultivation Binomial name
6 Preparation Eutrema japonicum
In other projects
7 See also (Miq.) Koidz.
Wikimedia Commons
8 References Synonyms
Wikispecies
Wikibooks
9 Further reading
Wasabia japonica
10 External links
Languages Alliaria wasabi

Deutsch Cochlearia wasabi

Español Uses [ edit ] Eutrema koreanum
Français Eutrema okinosimense
Wasabi is generally sold either as a rhizome[6] or stem, which must be very finely grated before
한국어 Eutrema wasabi
Italiano use, as dried powder, or as a ready-to-use paste in tubes similar to toothpaste tubes.[7]
Lunaria japonica
Русский The part used for wasabi paste is variously characterised as a rhizome,[8][9] a stem,[10][11] or the Wasabia pungens
Tagalog
"rhizome plus the base part of the stem".[12]
Tiếng Việt Wasabia wasabi
中 In some high-end restaurants, the paste is prepared when the customer orders, and is made
using a grater to grate the stem; once the paste is prepared, it loses flavor in 15 minutes if left uncovered.[13] In sushi preparation, chefs
42 more
usually put the wasabi between the fish and the rice because covering wasabi until served preserves its flavor.
Edit links
Fresh wasabi leaves can be eaten raw, having the spicy flavor of wasabi stems, but a common side effect is diarrhea.

Legumes (peanuts, soybeans, or peas) may be roasted or fried, and then coated with wasabi powder mixed with sugar, salt, or oil and
eaten as a crunchy snack. In Japan, it is called wasabi-mame (わ さび豆, "wasabi bean").

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 Fresh wasabi stems for sale at Daio
Wasabi Farm, Azumino, Nagano
Prefecture, Japan
Wasabi crop growing on Japan's Izu
Peninsula
A comparison of the colors of grated
wasabi. From the left, Hikimi wasabi
(Daijin cultivar), Hikimi wasabi (wild-
type) and wasabi from Shizuoka
Prefecture (Mazuma cultivar).

Surrogates [ edit ]

Wasabi favours growing conditions that restrict its wide cultivation – among other things, it is quite intolerant of direct sunlight, requires an
air temperature between 8 and 20 °C (46 and 68 °F), and prefers high humidity in summer. This makes it impossible for growers to fully
satisfy commercial demand, which makes wasabi quite expensive.[14][15][16] Therefore, outside Japan, it is rare to find real wasabi plants.

A common substitute is a mixture of horseradish, mustard, starch, and green food coloring or spinach powder.[17] Often packages are
labeled as wasabi while the ingredients do not actually include any part of the wasabi plant. The primary difference between the two is
color, with Wasabi being naturally green.[18] Fresh horseradish root is described as having a similar (albeit simpler) flavor and texture to
that of fresh wasabi.[19]

In Japan, horseradish is referred to as seiyō wasabi (西洋わ さび, "western wasabi"). [20] In the United States, true wasabi is generally
found only at specialty grocers and high-end restaurants.[21]

Chemistry [ edit ]

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 The chemical in wasabi that provides for its initial pungency is the volatile compound allyl isothiocyanate, which is produced by hydrolysis
of natural thioglucosides (conjugates of the sugar glucose, and sulfur-containing organic compounds); the hydrolysis reaction is catalyzed
by myrosinase and occurs when the enzyme is released on cell rupture caused by maceration – e.g., grating – of the plant.[22][23][24] The
same compound is responsible for the pungency of horseradish and mustard. Allyl isothiocyanate can also be released when the wasabi
plants have been damaged, because it is being used as a defense mechanism.[25] The sensory neural target of mustard oil is the
chemosensory receptor, TRPA1, also known as the ‘Wasabi Receptor’.[26]

The unique flavor of wasabi is a result of complex chemical mixtures from the broken cells of the plant, including those resulting from the
hydrolysis of thioglucosides from sinigrin[27] into glucose and methylthioalkyl isothiocyanates:[13][22][23]

6-MITC
7-methylthioheptyl isothiocyanate
8-methylthiooctyl isothiocyanate

Research has shown that such isothiocyanates inhibit microbe growth, perhaps with implications for preserving food against spoilage and
suppressing oral bacterial growth.[28]

Because the burning sensations of wasabi are not oil-based, they are short-lived compared to the effects of capsaicin in chili peppers,
and are washed away with more food or liquid. The sensation is felt primarily in the nasal passage and can be quite painful depending on
the amount consumed. Inhaling or sniffing wasabi vapor has an effect like smelling salts, a property 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
sprayed into his sleeping chamber.[29] The 2011 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to the researchers for determining the ideal
density of airborne wasabi to wake people in the event of an emergency.[30]

Nutritional information [ edit ]

Wasabi is normally consumed in such small quantities that its nutritional value is negligible. The major constituents of raw wasabi root are
carbohydrates (23.5%), water (69.1%), fat (0.63%), and protein (4.8%).[31]

Cultivation [ edit ]

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:

Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture

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 Nagano Prefecture including the Daio Wasabi Farm in Azumino (a popular tourist attraction and the
world's largest commercial wasabi farm).
Iwate Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture known as its Hikimi wasabi

2016 wasabi production in Japan (metric tonnes)[32]

Cultivated in water Cultivated in soil Total
Prefecture
Stem Leafstalk Stem Leafstalk Stem Leafstalk Total
Nagano 226.9 611.4 2.7 14.7 229.6 626.1 855.7
Iwate 8.2 5.5 16.0 488.4 24.2 493.9 518.1
Shizuoka 237.9 129.2 - 138.1 237.9 267.3 505.2 Wasabi grated to paste
form
Kochi 0.1 0.1 26.7 45.8 26.8 45.9 72.7
Shimane 3.5 1.7 1.8 42.5 5.3 44.2 49.5
Oita 0.1 0.6 38.8 9.5 38.9 10.1 49.0
Others 32.9 59.7 46.4 76.3 79.3 136.0 215.3
Total 509.6 808.2 132.4 815.3 642.0 1,623.5 2,265.5

2009 wasabi production in Japan (metric tonnes)[33]

Cultivated in water Cultivated in soil Total
Prefecture
Stem Leafstalk Stem Leafstalk Stem Leafstalk Total
Shizuoka 295.1 638.2 4.5 232.3 299.6 870.5 1,170.1
Nagano 316.8 739.2 7.2 16.8 324.0 756.0 1,080.0
Iwate 8.8 1.5 2.4 620.5 11.2 622.0 633.2
A drawing of a wasabi
Shimane 2.4 10.1 9.0 113.0 11.4 123.1 134.5 plant, published in 1828 by
Oita 0.5 8.9 – 94.0 0.5 102.9 103.4 Iwasaki Kanen

Yamaguchi 2.5 2.2 22.5 54.2 25.0 56.4 81.4

Others 65.8 48.1 61.7 108.0 127.5 156.1 283.6

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 Cultivated in water Cultivated in soil Total
Prefecture
Stem Leafstalk Stem Leafstalk Stem Leafstalk Total
Total 691.9 1,448.2 107.3 1,238.8 799.2 2,687.0 3,486.2

There are also numerous artificial cultivation facilities as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as
Kyushu. As the demand for real wasabi is higher than that which is able to be produced within Japan,
Japan imports copious amounts of wasabi from the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, Thailand
and New Zealand.[34] In North America, Wasabia japonica is cultivated by a handful of small farmers and
companies, the most prominent of which is King Wasabi, located in Forest Grove, Oregon.[35] In Europe,
wasabi is grown commercially in Iceland,[36] the Netherlands, Hungary, and the UK.[37][38]

Plastic bottle of prepared

Preparation [ edit ] wasabi sauce in USA

Wasabi is often grated with a metal oroshigane, but some prefer to use a more traditional tool made of
dried sharkskin (fine skin on one side; coarse skin on the other). A hand-made grater with irregular shark
teeth can also be used. If a shark-skin grater is unavailable, a ceramic cheese grater can be an
acceptable substitute.[39]

See also [ edit ]

List of condiments
List of delicacies
Wasabi on a metal
Satoyama oroshigane grater

References [ edit ]
Food portal
1. ^ "Eutrema japonicum (Miq.) Koidz" . The Plant List. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
2. ^ "Wasabia japonica" . Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database, University of Melbourne. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
3. ^ Morgan, Lynette (2005). "Hydroponic Production of Wasabi & Japanese Vegetables" . In Weller, Thomas;
Peckenpaugh, Douglas (eds.). The Best Of Growing Edge International, 2000–2005 . New Moon Publishing. p. 57 .
ISBN 978-0-944557-05-1. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
4. ^ わさびの歴史 . Kinjirushi. 2001. Archived from the original on 18 April 2001. Retrieved 9 August 2016.

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 5. ^ Frequency of "wasabi" and "sushi" in English-language sources from 1950 to 2008 wasabi vs. sushi in Google Books
Ngram Viewer ; wasabi tracks sushi, not other Japanese foods
6. ^ "Definition of rhizome - Merriam-Webster's Student Dictionary" . wordcentral.com.
7. ^ Lowry, Dave (2005). The Connoisseur's Guide to Sushi: Everything You Need to Know about Sushi . The Harvard
Common Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-1-55832-307-0. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
8. ^ "Wasabi – Botanical Notes" in P. N. Ravindran, The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices, 2017, ISBN 978-1-78064-315-1,
p. 1048
9. ^ Sultana, Tamanna; Savage, Geoffrey P; McNeil, David L; Porter, Noel G; Martin, Richard J; Deo, Bas (October 2002).
"Effects of fertilisation on the allyl isothiocyanate profile of above-ground tissues of New Zealand-grown wasabi". Journal of
the Science of Food and Agriculture. 82 (13): 1477–1482. doi:10.1002/jsfa.1218 .
10. ^ Cordwell, Simon (6 April 2010). "One chefs return home and adventures rediscovering the culinary delights of
Tasmania" . Tassie Chef. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
11. ^ "Preparing, Using and Storing Fresh Wasabi" . Shima Wasabi. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved
9 August 2016.
12. ^ Lim, Tong Kwee (2014). "Eutrema japonicum: Edible Plant Parts and Uses". Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants:
Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs . p. 790 . ISBN 978-94-017-9511-1.
13. ^ ab Arnaud, Celia Henry (22 March 2010). "What's wasabi, and is your fiery buzz legit?" . Chemical & Engineering
News. Vol. 88 no. 12. American Chemical Society. p. 48. ISSN 0009-2347 . Retrieved 9 August 2016.
14. ^ "Wasabi is quite picky about its growing conditions" . Real Wasabi. Cullowhee, NC: Real Wasabi, LLC. Retrieved
25 October 2016.
15. ^ Palmer, J. (1990). "Germination and growth of wasabi (Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsumara)" . New Zealand Journal of
Crop and Horticultural Science/Experimental Agriculture. 18 (2–3): 161–164. doi:10.1080/01140671.1990.10428089 .
Retrieved 25 October 2016.
16. ^ Gittleson, Kim (18 September 2014). "Wasabi: Why invest in 'the hardest plant to grow'?" . BBC News. Archived from
the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
17. ^ Ferdman, Roberto A. (15 October 2014). "The wasabi sushi restaurants serve is pretty much never actual wasabi" .
Washington Post. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
18. ^ Gazzaniga, Donald A.; Gazzaniga, Maureen A. (2007). "Glossary" . The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium International
Cookbook. Macmillan. p. 301 . ISBN 978-1-4668-1915-3. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
19. ^ "What's a Good Wasabi Substitute?" . 14 June 2018.
20. ^ "Sushi Items – Wasabi" . The Sushi FAQ. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
21. ^ Skidmore, Sarah (1 March 2007). "Condiments – Wasabi: real vs. fake" . Effingham Daily News. Effingham, IL.
Archived from the original on 21 July 2012.

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 22. ^ a b Kazuo Ina; Hiroji Ina; Mikako Ueda; Akihito Yagi; Isao Kishima (1989). "ω-Methylthioalkyl Isothiocyanates in
Wasabi" . Agricultural and Biological Chemistry. 53 (2): 537–538. doi:10.1271/bbb1961.53.537 .
23. ^ ab Hideki Masuda; Yasuhiro Harada; Kunio Tanaka; Masahiro Nakajima; Hideki Tabeta (1996). "Characteristic Odorants
of Wasabi (Wasabia japonica matum), Japanese Horseradish, in Comparison with Those of Horseradish (Armoracia
rusticana)". Biotechnology for Improved Foods and Flavors. ACS Symposium Series. 637. American Chemical Society.
pp. 67–78. doi:10.1021/bk-1996-0637.ch006 . ISBN 9780841234215.
24. ^ "Condiments – Wasabi: real vs. fake" . Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
25. ^ Atsumi, A; Saito, T (2015). "Volatiles from wasabi inhibit entomopathogenic fungi: implications for tritrophic interactions
and biological control" . Journal of Plant Interactions. 10 (1): 152–157. doi:10.1080/17429145.2015.1039613 .
ISSN 1742-9145 .
26. ^ Zhao, Jianhua; Lin King, John V.; Paulsen, Candice E.; Cheng, Yifan; Julius, David (8 July 2020). "Irritant-evoked
activation and calcium modulation of the TRPA1 receptor" . Nature. 585 (7823): 141–145.
Bibcode:2020Natur.585..141Z . doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2480-9 . ISSN 1476-4687 . PMC 7483980 .
PMID 32641835 . S2CID 220407248 .
27. ^ Yu, E. Y.; Pickering, I. J.; George, G. N.; Prince, R. C. (15 August 2001). "In situ observation of the generation of
isothiocyanates from sinigrin in horseradish and wasabi". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects. 1527
(3): 156–160. doi:10.1016/s0304-4165(01)00161-1 . PMID 11479032 .
28. ^ Zeuthen, P.; Bøgh-Sørensen, Leif (2003). Food preservation techniques . Woodhead Publishing Limited. p. 12.
ISBN 978-1-85573-530-9. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
29. ^ Levenstein, Steve. "Wasabi Silent Fire Alarm Alerts the Deaf with the Power of Scent" . InvestorSpot. Retrieved
9 August 2016.
30. ^ "Winners of the Ig® Nobel Prize: 2011" . Improbable Research. August 2006. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
31. ^ "Basic Report: 11990, Wasabi, root, raw" . National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release. United
States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. April 2018.
特⽤林産物⽣産統計調査-平成28年特⽤林産基礎資料 – 2016年 – 3.平成28年主要品⽬別⽣産動向 – (16)わさび(⽣産
32. ^ "
量）" [Wasabi production]. e-Stat (Statistics of Japan). 13 September 2017. Excel file u008-28-032.xls
33. ^ "(title in Japanese)" [Wasabi (Production)] (xls) (in Japanese). Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan. Retrieved
10 August 2016.
34. ^ Gedye, Lynsey; Mellaerts, Michel Van (10 August 2014). "A Wasabi Growers Story – updated" . World of Wasabi.
Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
35. ^ Kim Gittleson (18 September 2014). "Wasabi: Why invest in 'the hardest plant to grow'?" . BBC News. Retrieved
9 August 2016.
36. ^ "Sustainably" . Nordic Wasabi. Jurt Hydroponics. Retrieved 22 March 2019.

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 37. ^ Leendertz, Lia (21 May 2015). "The UK farm secretly growing wasabi, the world's most costly veg" . Th Telegraph.
Telegraph Media Group.
38. ^ Spijkerman, Catrien (6 July 2019). "Sander stopte als IT-consultant om wasabi te gaan verbouwen in Eigen kas" .
trouw.nl. Trouw.
39. ^ Andoh, Elizabeth; Beisch, Leigh (2005). Washoku: Recipes From The Japanese Home Kitchen . Ten Speed Press.
p. 71. ISBN 978-1-58008-519-9. Retrieved 9 August 2016.

Further reading [ edit ]

Il Shik Shin; Hideki Masuda; Kinae Naohide (August 2004). "Bactericidal activity of wasabi (Wasabia japonica) against Helicobacter
pylori". International Journal of Food Microbiology. 94 (3): 255–61. doi:10.1016/S0168-1605(03)00297-6 . PMID 15246236 .
Miles, Carol; Chadwick, Catherine (1 May 2008). Growing Wasabi in the Pacific Northwest . Washington State University Extension.
PNW605.
A. Depree, J.; M. Howard, T.; P. Savage, G. (June 1998). "Flavour and pharmaceutical properties of the volatile sulphur compounds of
Wasabi (Wasabia japonica)". Food Research International. 31 (5): 329–337. doi:10.1016/S0963-9969(98)00105-7 .

External links [ edit ]

Douglas, James A. (1993). "New Crop Development in New Zealand" . In Janick, Jules;
Wikispecies has information
Simon, James E. (eds.). New crops. Second National Symposium, New Crops: Exploration, related to Wasabia japonica.
Research, and Commercialization . Purdue University, Center for New Crops & Plant
Products. Wasabi . ISBN 0-471-59374-5. OCLC 468737540 . Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Eutrema
"Wasabi (Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsum.)" . Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages. 11 February japonicum.
2007.
Wikibooks Cookbook has a
"Wasabi: Japanese flavor—Part 1: Seeking 'Japan's No.1' " . The Asahi Shimbun. 29
recipe/module on
December 2016. Wasabi
"Wasabi: Japanese flavor—Part 2: Exceed Real Ones" . The Asahi Shimbun. 9 August
2017.

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 V·T·E Sushi [show]

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Taxon identifiers
Wikidata: Q49855 · Wikispecies: Eutrema japonicum · EoL: 483598 · EPPO: ETMWA · GBIF: 5375216 ·
Eutrema japonicum GRIN: 404759 · iNaturalist: 123047 · IPNI: 284345-1 · ITIS: 823046 · NCBI: 75806 · Plant List: kew-2805492 ·
POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:284345-1 · Tropicos: 4103852 · uBio: 5836086 · WFO: wfo-0000683668
Wikidata: Q20366256 · GBIF: 5375218 · GRIN: 318172 · IPNI: 286660-1 · POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:286660-1
Lunaria japonica
· Tropicos: 4104038 · WFO: wfo-0000362411

Authority control [show]

Categories: Eutrema Japanese condiments Japanese cuisine terms Medicinal plants Spices Sushi East Asian cuisine

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