|
Most people don’t realize this, but the “wasabi” paste you get in a tube is usually common horseradish with a little green food coloring and mustard. The better brands contain a little real wasabi, but are still mostly horseradish.
True wasabi (aka wasabi japonica, Japanese horseradish) is a green rhizome (root-like stem) that has a milder bite than horseradish and is full of nuanced underlying flavors. The difference in quality is such that the world’s finest sushi chefs will use nothing else, and true sushi connoisseurs love them for it.
Why is it so rare? Wasabi is a temperamental crop requiring very specific growing conditions and exacting care to flourish. It is also rather perishable. Because of these factors, real wasabi can be extremely hard to get your hands on.
This wasabi is the milder (but considered to be more beautiful) daruma wasabi variety. It is water-grown (aka sawa wasabi), which produces significantly higher quality wasabi than land grown crops.
Important Shipping Note: Fresh wasabi shipping is dependant on harvests and availability, so we cannot always guarantee specific delivery dates. If we are unable to accommodate your requested delivery date, we will contact you with a revised schedule to approve before charging you & shipping.
Applications: Fresh wasabi is classically paired with fine seafood, but it can also be used in salad dressings (vinaigrettes in particular) and mashed potatoes as well as steak sauces (particularly for Kobe beef, where it cuts the beef’s richness).
To use wasabi, first trim the outer skin from the portion of the wasabi rhizome you’re going to be using, exposing the green inner core. Using a microplane, Japanese metal grater, oroshi sharkskin grater or (in a pinch) the finest grating side on a box grater, finely grate the wasabi. Form the wasabi paste into a tight pile, and cover it.
Let it rest for ten minutes, then use it within the next 5-10 minutes after the rest. If you wait too long, the wasabi will start to loose some of its nuanced flavor, becoming simply hot. Adding a pinch of sugar (we recommend superfine sugar for better distribution) and mixing the paste vigorously will revitalize this flavor for another 5-10 minute period.
How to Store and Share: Wrap fresh wasabi rhizomes in a damp towel and store them in the refrigerator’s crisper. Though fresh wasabi is at its peak flavor in the first day or two after you receive it, it will stay fresh for several weeks.
Origin: North Carolina. Japan if North Carolinian wasabi is out of season.
Shipping Method: Fedex 2nd Day
| 
0 Items in Cart
