Here are the hottest wasabi facts
Wasabi Facts – This Asian condiment is known as a perfect pair for sushi and is considered one of the hottest dips the world has ever made.
Before dipping into this famous condiment, here are some of the amazing facts about wasabi, based on the article in Treehugger.
It is hard to grow a wasabi plant
The Wasabia japonica is hard to cultivate and this grows in cool, shady mountain stream beds mainly in Japan. However, there are growers now in Taiwan, China, the United States, and other countries. The plant can sustain 46 and 70 degrees but it can die under direct sunlight. Wasabi has become expensive as the demand grows but the supply has become scarce.
Wasabi belongs to the cabbage family
It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbage, horseradish, and mustard. Sometimes, it is called Japanese horseradish but this is not right because horseradish is a different plant. What looks like roots that grow under the water are actually the plant’s stems.
Source of nutrition
Wasabi has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties properties. It also contains potassium, calcium, and vitamin C, osteopathic physician Dr. Joseph Mercola said. This plant has isothiocyanate which is a family of organic compounds found in some herbs that can alleviate symptoms of allergies, asthma, cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases.
A real wasabi loses its flavor quickly
In about 15 minutes, a real wasabi paste loses its flavor if left uncovered. That is the reason why it is advisable to grate the wasabi as you need it. To grate the plan, a sharkskin grater, or an oroshi, which has the texture of fine sandpaper is used.
Wasabi sold at supermarkets is probably fake
Wasabi pastes and powders you find at the supermarket contain barely any real wasabi because of its scarcity. These products are mostly made with horseradish, Chinese mustard, food coloring, and other ingredients.
If you don’t like wasabi as a condiment, there are a lot of choices when it comes to condiments if you want to eat nachos.