What is Fake Wasabi?
Many peoples’ first experience with wasabi is when it’s eaten with sushi, sashimi or soba. However, chances are that most people have never actually eaten real wasabi. The Washington Post reported that upwards of 95% of all wasabi is fake.
So, what is this fake wasabi?
The fake substitute is actually just a combination of horseradish, mustard extract, citric acid, and green dye. This is not just in North America either, but everywhere. Even in Japan, the vast majority of wasabi served is not real.
What is Real Wasabi?
Real wasabi, aka wasabia japonica, is from the same family of plants as horseradish and mustard, known as Brassicaceae. This why the two make good substitutes, as they both produce the same kind of spicy effect as wasabi. The compound allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is the main source of that spicy flavor. Where the spicy flavor of capsaicin from chili peppers tastes spicy throughout your mouth, AITC’s spicy sensation is concentrated mainly in the nasal passage. Also, AITC is slightly soluble in water unlike capsaicin, so it doesn’t last long and can be washed away with other food or drink. All of that said, too much at once can still be quite painful.
The plant itself has stems and leaves that grow out of the ground and a rhizome which grows in the ground. A rhizome is a type of underground plant stem with nodes that send out roots and shoots. Other common rhizomes used in cooking are ginger and turmeric.
Making wasabi from the rhizome is actually quite easy. The rhizome is finely grated and either turned into dried powder or stored in tubes to squeeze out for later use. Freshly grated wasabi is considered the best; however, it can’t be left out for more than 15 minutes or it will start to lose its flavor. Fresh wasabi is still spicy, but not quite as overpoweringly so. In general, it’s smoother and has a more complex flavor than it’s faux counterpart.
Why Real Wasabi isn’t Generally Used?
So if the real stuff isn’t hard to prepare and tastes better than its horseradish and mustard substitute, then why isn’t the real thing used more often?
Simply put, it’s hard to grow in large volumes, so the supply is limited. In the wild, it can be found naturally in rocky riverbeds. The plants are fond of water and can be quite finicky about their growing environment altogether. Temperatures between 45° F and 75° F are best, which can be hard to maintain year-round, although they can still be grown if a green house is used. Shade and not too much humidity are important as well.
Another factor that tends to make large scale farming difficult is that their susceptible to disease when planted at scale. To top it off, it takes over a year for them to reach maturity. All of this factors into one of the most expensive plants in the world to grow. In 2014, wasabi was about $160 per kilogram, but in the last couple years that price has rocketed up to around $250 kilograms as demands out paces supply.
Better, But Not Feasible…
Real wasabi is truly much better than its substitute and if you ever get a chance to try it, you should. Although you may be disappointed every time you have the fake stuff afterwards, especially since you may only have the real stuff once. Justifying the price, especially outside Japan, is unrealistic for the average person and supply will likely never be high enough to make it cheap in a meaningful way. The sad truth is that the supply will never be able to meet the demand, let alone meet it at a reasonable price to replace fake wasabi.
