# Wasabi **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801 "2008-04-10T21:04:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/1 "2008-04-10T21:04:57Z")
Today, some friends and I were eating lunch. One of my friends had Japanese food, which contained wasabi. He ate something with the Wasabi, and was just fine. But another one of my friends asked for some wasabi, just the leaf, nothing else. He ate the wasabi leaf, and immediately his face turned red. After about 30 seconds, he started laughing uncontrollably. This went on for about 2 minutes, after which he returned to normal. He says that during that time, everything turned red and it felt like his brain was melting out his ears. What exactly happened? Is this normal under these circumstances? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/2 "2008-04-10T21:12:03Z")
Wasabi leaf? I know they are used in Japan as a garnish, but do you get them in the US? Normally wasabi is just a green horseradish paste. Are you sure it wasn’t nori seaweed he ate? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/3 "2008-04-10T21:36:02Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Wasabi leaf? I know they are used in Japan as a garnish, but do you get them in the US? Normally wasabi is just a green horseradish paste. Are you sure it wasn’t nori seaweed he ate? [/QUOTE] or, no wait, it was horseradish. and it was a paste. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/4 "2008-04-10T21:57:57Z")
Yelling “WASABI” while running into battle is a MUST during our D&D games. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/5 "2008-04-10T22:07:03Z")
If your friend had the unfortunate idea of exhaling through his nose while eating the wasabi the sensation can be very, very strong burning on the sinuses. He may have laughed in lieu of casting obsenities. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/6 "2008-04-10T22:31:20Z")
Wasabi is very potent. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/7 "2008-04-10T22:38:11Z")
I’m hot like wasabi when I bust rhymes. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/8 "2008-04-10T22:57:35Z")
Eating stimulating foods like hot peppers, horseradish, and wasabi is well-known to release [endorphins](http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-endorphi.html). From the link: > [@](#): > > Besides behaving as a pain regulator, endorphins are also thought to be connected to physiological processes including euphoric feelings, appetite modulation, and the release of sex hormones. Uh huh. 😃 Your friend was stoned on “nature’s high”. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/9 "2008-04-10T23:04:17Z")
I forgot some details. This is the story. Today, some friends and I were eating lunch. One of my friends had Japanese food, which contained wasabi. He ate something with the Wasabi, and was just fine. But another one of my friends asked for some wasabi. He ate the wasabi paste in pickled ginger, and immediately his face turned red. After about 30 seconds, he started laughing uncontrollably. This went on for about 2 minutes, after which he returned to normal. He says that during that time, everything turned red and it felt like his brain was melting out his ears. Before all that, he had a large portion plate with no effect whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/10 "2008-04-10T23:13:33Z")
It is extremely rare to encounter real wasabi in the U.S. even in the best sushi places. Horseradish paste with green food coloring has to almost always fill in so it probably isn’t a matter of anything wasabi specific. You could try a shrimp cocktail or simple Chinese horseradish sauce to see if the person in question reacts the same way. The vast majority of people in the U.S. that think they have ever had wasabi, have not. Real wasabi is very hard to grow and expensive. It requires tightly controlled, running, aquatic conditions which can sometimes be found in the U.S. in places like Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/11 "2008-04-10T23:28:46Z")
Really? I eat wasabi peas all the time…I love the stuff. I’m kind of bummed that I’m not eating the real McCoy. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/12 "2008-04-11T00:30:43Z")
Hey ya, I just went to the fridge to find our tubes of Wasabi, but couldn’t find them. I will check next time I am in the supermarket. Something labelled wasabi should be wasabi ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/13 "2008-04-11T00:49:27Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] It is extremely rare to encounter real wasabi in the U.S. even in the best sushi places. Horseradish paste with green food coloring has to almost always fill in so it probably isn’t a matter of anything wasabi specific. You could try a shrimp cocktail or simple Chinese horseradish sauce to see if the person in question reacts the same way. The vast majority of people in the U.S. that think they have ever had wasabi, have not. Real wasabi is very hard to grow and expensive. It requires tightly controlled, running, aquatic conditions which can sometimes be found in the U.S. in places like Oregon. [/QUOTE] If wikipedia is to be believed it is pretty rare to get real wasabi in Japan as well. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/14 "2008-04-11T00:49:46Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Really? I eat wasabi peas all the time…I love the stuff. I’m kind of bummed that I’m not eating the real McCoy. [/QUOTE] Even in Japan, you’re only going to get “the real stuff” in the most expensive restaurants. The most common fake stuff is made from western horseradish, daikon and food colouring. Sometimes there will also be some real wasabi mixed in. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/15 "2008-04-11T01:01:31Z")
[QUOTE=Mikemike2] Hey ya, I just went to the fridge to find our tubes of Wasabi, but couldn’t find them. I will check next time I am in the supermarket. Something labelled wasabi should be wasabi [/QUOTE] Unfortunately, it’s not. I just checked the ingredients on SB’s (the most important brand) site and it says: western horseradish, food colouring for the powdered type. For the paste, the ingredients are: western horseradish, wasabi, lactose, corn oil, salt, sorbitol, cellulose, oligosaccharide, flavouring, citric acid, xanthan. The problem with real wasabi is that not only is it expensive, it quickly loses its flavour once it has been grated. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/16 "2008-04-11T01:44:04Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Really? I eat wasabi peas all the time…I love the stuff. I’m kind of bummed that I’m not eating the real McCoy. [/QUOTE] My Kasugai brand (A Happy Present from the Earth!) hot roasted peas list wasabi powder as an ingredient. I’ve had other brands from Malaysia and elsewhere that weren’t nearly as tasty as Kasugai (from Japan). ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/17 "2008-04-11T02:01:31Z")
I’m curious. for those that have tasted it, is the flavor of real wasabi much different from the pungent horseradish we typically get in the U.S.? I really can’t imagine liking sushi _more_. And while we are on the subject of Japanese condiments, how do they preserve the ginger in Japan? A lot of the stuff we get has some kind of artificial saccharine sweetener that I am very sensitive to the taste of. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/18 "2008-04-11T02:40:06Z")
[QUOTE=Stan Doubt] And while we are on the subject of Japanese condiments, how do they preserve the ginger in Japan? A lot of the stuff we get has some kind of artificial saccharine sweetener that I am very sensitive to the taste of. [/QUOTE] The pickled ginger served with sushi is made with young ginger, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. I just checked and it’s true the commercial stuff has some artificial sweetener in it (stevia and saccharine). You can make your own but I’ve never seen the young ginger you need outside of Japan. It should look [like this](http://pds.exblog.jp/pds/1/200705/24/74/e0017774_20124710.jpg). The skin should be whitish with some pink near where the stem grows. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/19 "2008-04-11T03:09:44Z")
:: checks tin of Kinrushi powdered wasabi :: “Horseradish, spirulina, turmeric.” Bother. No wonder the ice cream tasted weird. Well, weird_er_. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801/20 "2008-04-11T03:12:55Z")
Several years ago I went to a restaurant and ordered a dish with Wasabi. I had no idea what Wasabi was but I’m an adventurous eater so wasn’t even concerned. The dish was presented and I saw a small bit of pastey stuff on top that appeared to be garnish and popped it in my mouth. I swear by everything holy that I thought I was going to die. right. there. My face turned red, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t even say, “Help me, I’m going to die right before your very eyes!” I mentioned something to the waiter and he politely told me that it was Wasabi and was supposed to be hot. :smack: Lesson learned. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wasabi/444801.md?page=2)