Have you ever had wasabi at a restaurant? Chances are you are not getting true wasabi but horseradish with food coloring. Wasabi is a rhizome which is extremely diffucult to grow. The majority of wasabi is grown in japan. A company in Half-Moon Bay California has recently started to grow and sell wasabi. Because it is so difficult to grow wasabi is very expensive. That is why most restaurants substituted horseradish alternative. I pulled the trigger and purchased some. I wanted to try the real deal.
To use wasabi one must grate it right before using. Freshly grated wasabi's flavor can deteriorate within 15 minutes of grating. It has a wonderful vegetable smell. The fumes are enticing to the flavor jolt you are about to experience. I tried the freshly grated wasabi with some shrimp. Wasabi immediately gives your sinus a jolt. There is a heat to this root but not like a chile pepper. It can overwhelm if you use too much but luckily the heat jolt is very temporary. I would say wasabi is very similiar to horseradish and maybe not even as hot. It does have a wonderful sweetness and green vegetable vibe to it. This is a lot of fun. Expensive fun.
