The Japanese grocery by me has fresh wasabi root for sale. I want to get some but I’m not sure if I should.
I’ve had real wasabi in Japan and I really like it a lot better than the colored horseradish you’re usually served with sushi but I have a few questions.
First of all, is $70/lb reasonable for fresh root?
Second – can it be frozen?
Third, what’s the best way to grate it?
Thanks!
Unfortunately I can’t answer 2) or 3), but $70/lb doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary based on what Penzeys Spices charges for pure ground wasabi root - $11.95 for .7 oz, or … mumble mumble … gracious me, $273.14 for a pound. Understand they do have their own markup, and it’s in individual glass jars rather than in a sack, but it looks to me that your Japanese grocer has a relatively reasonable price.
That seems really pricey to me. Check here for more reasonable prices.
The link supplied goes to a company which Saveur Magazine profiled in a cover store back in 2001 or 2002. From what I’m remembering from the article, the correct way to prepare wasabi is to grate it in a circular motion on a [url=“http://www.japanese-knife.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/TK/TK-606-03A%20.jpg”]wasabi grater*. I’m sure you can find an adequate substitute. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and let it settle for 10 minutes or so to let the flavors develop and mingle.
Fixed link below:
Yeah, Penzeys generally is on the high end of the pricing scale. They’re a good resource for some of their blends and mixes, but for individual spices you’re better off elsewhere. I started with them as I’ve never shopped for pure wasabi before but I knew they had it in stock.
The Japanese market near me carries fresh wasabi root, but I can’t remember the per pound price. I do know that a root about the size of a medium carrot is about $18.
And I agree with you. I tasted fresh wasabi just once, and it’s a completely different animal from the powdered stuff. It’s complex and exquisite and addictive. Every time I go to that market I struggle with the desire to buy one of those hideously expensive things, but I know only a little is needed for a serving. For this reason, I’m interested in knowing if it freezes, too.
If you want some you should get some. You don’t have to buy a whole pound.
$90/lb where I live. PNW
Fresh wasabi should never be frozen. ever.
My favourite wasabi grater is a round ceramic kind. Like this:
I find the rhizomes keep fresh for up to 3 weeks in a green stay fresh bag in the refrigerator. If the outer layer blackens just trim off with a vegetable peeler prior to grating.
I just noticed how old this post is. You surely must have bought some by now.
Yep - and I’m NEVER going back. Once you go real wasabi, you’ll never be sorry? GAH - that’s awful, let me work on that one…
there’s a small farm in oregon which is the only or one of two places in the united states that actually grows fresh wasabi. uwajimaya carries the fresh root and i believe it’s in the $70-$90 a pound range.
If you’ve never had it before, I’d recommend splurging just to try it. As others have said, it’s not like the fake stuff at all…I only had it once, but I remember the complex, enjoyable taste to this day. I would love to get my hands on it again. It seemed very easy to grate. When I did it at the restaurant, it was like a little dish with spikes in the middle, very different from what people usually associate as a grater (think cheese grater, zester, etc.) but the root was very easy to grate using the dish.
So for you fresh wasabi gurus out there, how do you use the stuff? With the fake stuff, I was taught to mix it into soy sauce and then dip sushi or sashimi in it. Is that the proper way to treat real wasabi?
Welcome to the Dope, Wabi Sabi. This thread is about seven years old, as you noticed, which makes it what we call a “zombie” thread. We usually kill zombies with fire (i.e., locking them) but I’ll let this one stay open since others are asking questions. Enjoy your stay with us.
Gukumatz
Moderator
Does it have the sinus clearing effect that the powdered horseradish has?
To me it’s not as strong in the sinus clearing way, but it has an almost sweet component and a noticeable green veg component (perhaps like parsley - but that’s not quite correct). Like the fake, green colored horseradish if it’s making your eye’s water you’re way over doing it. Good sushi should highlight the fish. Wasabi, like salt, should be subtle accent IMHO.
For those who can’t afford the freight for the real thing, one thing you can do to improve the fake stuff and make it a LITTLE more like actual wasabi is to grate a little daikon (the big white carrot-shaped Japanese radishes - available at most supermarkets) and mix it in.
$70-$100 per lb amongst the 3 larger Japanese supermarket chains in coastal California (Mitsuwa, Nijiya, Marukai). They are usually cut into $20~ pieces and are sometimes imported from Japan.
I agree there’s a nice complexity and elegance to it, in line with the whole philosophy of Japanese cuisine. It’s not essential, though. Most Japanese people don’t use fresh wasabi root on a regular basis.
This is what you do with the cheap stuff, and it’s the way the majority of people in Japan eat their sushi or sashimi, because even here most “wasabi” is actually mostly coloured horseradish.
If you’re having the real stuff, the proper way to use it is to place a little dab atop whatever you’re eating so that the soy sauce won’t hide the subtle flavours.
Then why doesn’t it taste like horseradish? It tastes…dirtier. Not nearly as good as real horseradish, though I’ve only had that in jarred form (I’m only part Bohemian so I’m not dumb enough to make it myself. 
I believe you need to contact the EPA before grating horseradish these days.) while the “wasabi” has all been based on powdered root of some sort, I suppose.
And why don’t more people try growing their own? It’s only hardy down to 10F so you couldn’t keep it outside around here year-round, but with a container brought into the garage for the cold months you could do it. And seeds and seedlings are available online.
It’s a pain in the ass. It doesn’t like temps over 75 F or so, or below 40 F. It likes a dimly lit and damp environment, but it doesn’t like wet soil. So you need a shady area with a small temp range, high humidity and soil that drains really well. There are a few natural environments like that in the USA but recreating it is difficult. It also takes about 2 years to mature so you need to maintain that environment for a long time before you get good results, assuming it doesn’t die along the way.
To add to what zoid wrote, you can grow “dry” wasabi but it will only give you a tiny root. This is because wasabi releases allyl isothiocyanate, which has anti-bacterial effects. This is a defense mechanism that keeps other plants from growing nearby but it is also toxic to wasabi itself. In order to grow large, high quality roots, you need to create an environment where the ground is constantly drained. However, too much water isn’t good. It also needs to be very clean water at just the right temperature.
As for why powdered “wasabi” doesn’t taste like horseradish, some brands do add a little real wasabi to the mix and of course, the powdering process surely affects the flavour.
