I’m assuming that most people who habitually post in “Cafe Society” know this but, just in case, let me note that supermarket/restaurant “Wasabi” is not real Wasabi, it is a paste made of horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring. The reason being that true Wasabi is challenging to produce and very perishable once exposed to use. However, at the market, you can buy bottles of horseradish that are labeled as such, or you can buy the “Wasabi” (horseradish). Now, my question:
I’ve had both and, in my experience at least, the “Wasabi” is markedly more potent than the horseradish even though the basic ingredient is the same. Why? Does it mean the horseradish marked “horseradish” isn’t as concentrated as the horseradish in the “Wasabi”?
Prepared horseradish typically contains vinegar, which stabilizes the heat, plus starches and other additives for shelf life.
So it sounds like prepared horseradish is formulated for longevity over pure heat. Also, the OP mentions ‘bottles of horseradish’-- maybe the OP is thinking of horseradish dressing, which is mixed with mayo or other creamy ingredients, making it much less potent than the prepared horseradish that comes in jars, which is basically shredded or grated horseradish and vinegar.
You said they add mustard to make wasabi, that could be what adds the extra kick. I have had some serious sinus-opening hot chinese mustard in the past.
Ah, interesting! I buy what is labeled as “spicy mustard” in the market, but it’s not really SPICY, just zesty. I had forgotten about the Chinese restaurant mustard that can light you up. That instead of vinegar may be the difference between horseradish and what they label as “Wasabi”.
If you want to try some, I’ve seen it for sale at Mitsuwa in Schaum/Arlington Heights. I think it was about $100/lb last time but a nice finger sized chunk was like $10.
Confessional edit: I’ve never had the genuine stuff, either.
Are you saying restaurant fake-horseradish wasabi isn’t as potent as regular horseradish? Because I don’t find that to be the case if you either a) grate your own horseradish or b) buy actual grated horseradish and not the creamy, mayo stuff. As for real wabasi vs horseradish, I find wasabi to have a gentler and more refined burn to it, if that makes any sense. It’s more “well rounded” to use an overused adjective. If you go to higher-end sushi places (and they don’t have to be all that high end, to be honest), you can sometimes find it there for an upcharge. A couple years ago I paid something like $5 extra for freshly grated real wasabi.
I’ve had the real, freshly-grated stuff. It’s more subtle and nuanced than the powdered imitation. To me, it has almost a hazelnut-like flavor. It’s yummy!
Sorry, that was my fault. I wrote that exactly backwards, but understood correctly. No, I do not find fake wabasi in restaurants more potent than grated horseradish root.
The stuff on the right is what I use and grew up with:
I find it at least as nose-clearing as restaurant wasabi. (But the spiciest I’ve had was my mom’s freshly prepared horseradish.)
Horseradish has sadly undergone the mass-marketization that many other pungent foods have over the past few decades. It used to be easy to find a supermarket horseradish that would give you that isothiocyanate rush and leave you in blissful agony for a few seconds. Now you have to go to specialty shops to get that level of heat, the supermarket brands are tangy at best. I used to love horseradish, the combo of intense heat and near immediate dissolution was so enjoyable, and very different from capsaicin’s long lasting burn.
Aren’t those wimpier versions called “horseradish sauce” on the labeling? That’s different than just horseradish. I don’t find it difficult to find plain horseradish at big groceries around here, but we have a large Eastern European population, so many places stock it, and there’s a couple brands.
I see Jewel and Meijer here have Silver Spring, and that’s just horseradish, vinegar, salt.
Nope. They claim to be grated horseradish, with no ingredients but horseradish, vinegar, and salt. Yet you could eat a jar with a spoon with no effects.
Weird. The Polish Cracovia stuff I eat will feel like a punch to your sinuses and arrest your breathing if you swallow it wrong or inhale at the wrong time.
