Wasabi: how to choose it and use it well

Wasabi, one of the characteristic foods of Japanese cuisine, is a spicy paste which is made with a Japanese radish from the cruciferous family. Like broccoli, it has healthy properties.

The Japanese radish (wasabia japonica either eutrema japonicum) grows underwater pure in the rivers of the Japanese mountains, and also in China, Korea, New Zealand and North America.

The spicy flavor that rises through the nose and the bright green color are the most obvious characteristics of wasabi, which in traditional Japanese cuisine is eaten with sushi and fish sashimi, but that also accompanies pasta and vegetables.

Its flavor is due to the content in long chain glucosinolates. When grating the radish, these sulfur compounds come into contact with the plant’s own enzyme myrosinase and water, and are then transformed into isothiocyanates, associated with a series of beneficial health effects.

Beware of fake wasabi

Not everything that looks like wasabi is. In many restaurants they serve a paste that is made with a similar plant, the rustic horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), which is mixed with mustard, some starch and additives (dyes and aromas). The reason they give you a pig in a poke is that the substitute is much cheaper.

In Japan, wasabi is cultivated with precise conditions of humidity and temperature. In Europe there are very few authentic wasabi producers (one of them is in Montseny, Barcelona).

What is the best way to consume wasabi?

Japanese gourmets say that the best wasabi, the one with the richest flavor and aroma, is the one consumed by 2 minutes after grating it from the fresh trunk (as we do with ginger).

It is estimated that after 15 minutes it has already lost part of its organoleptic qualities. This fresh trunk is hard to get.

If it’s not fresh, is there another way to take it?

Yes. You can make wasabi paste from dry powder. You just have to mix it with a little water. You can also find ready-made pasta.

But remember that you should always make sure that it is authentic wasabi and not of substitute products with starches, dyes and other additives.

Does dry powder have the same properties?

No, because the enzymes and volatile compounds suffer from the application of the heat necessary for dehydration. However, there is wasabi powder obtained by lyophilization (cold dehydration), which retains most of the characteristics of the fresco.

How do you take wasabi paste?

You can apply the wasabi directly on the maki (vegetable sushi), but the most widespread practice is to take a small amount -half a peanut- with chopsticks and dissolve it in a little soy sauce. Then you can dip the makis in this sauce.

In what other ways can it be used?

You can add the wasabi and soy sauce to pasta soups, use it to dress salads, make marinades and with grilled vegetables. In all these dishes you can combine it with ginger.

You can also use wasabi paste to flavor tofu and other sauces.

What part of the plant does wasabi come from?

Wasabi is made from the zest of the trunk, but in traditional Japanese medicine and gastronomy it isand take advantage of everything, from the leaves to the roots, passing through the buds and flowers. Each part has specific qualities

Does wasabi have antibiotic properties?

Its use in traditional cooking has to do with its ability to prevent the multiplication of bacteria. Studies carried out at Kangnung National University (South Korea) have proven its activity against Helicobacter pylori, cause of digestive ulcers.

Does it have an anti-inflammatory effect?

Wasabi glucosinolates have been shown in the laboratory to suppress the production of inflammatory enzymes and cytokines. Although no studies have been done with people, it stands to reason that it has a place in the anti-inflammatory plant diet. It is indicated for people with allergies.

Is it true that it is useful against cancer?

No food can fully cure or protect us against cancer, but some have Immunity-boosting compounds. This is the case with wasabi. Several observational studies relate the habitual consumption of cruciferous vegetables with a lower incidence of the disease.

How does it help the good condition of the bones?

One of the compounds present in wasabi called p-Hydroxycinnamic Acid, stimulates bone formation and reduces the risk of fracture. A study from Emory University considers that, taken as a supplement, it can be effective in treating osteoporosis.