Hello!
Today we will introduce you to wasabi.
The green paste you eat sushi with isn't actually wasabi.
You can check the ingredients on the package, where you will see a mixture of horseradish
sweetener and maybe a small percentage of real wasabi.
The fact is that real wasabi is hard to find, and it can cost from $ 250 per kilogram.
So what exactly is wasabi and why is it so expensive.
Wasabi or Eutrema japonica is a species of perennial herbaceous plants of the genus Eutrema.
The plant is known as "Japanese horseradish", but in reality it is not horseradish, although
it is related to it.
It tastes like spicy mustard or horseradish rather than chili, as it is more stimulating
to the nose than to the tongue.
Wasabi is a light green cruciferous plant.
This means that it belongs to many cheap and easily available plants, such as horseradish,
cabbage or broccoli, but unlike them, this plant is incredibly expensive.
A kilogram of fresh wasabi will cost you 25 times more than the same amount of fresh horseradish.
The main reason for such a huge price has to do with the process of growing wasabi.
The hardest thing to grow a plant for commercial purposes.
The only place in the world where wasabi grows naturally is near Japanese mountain streams,
where the very specific conditions necessary for the growth of this fastidious plant are
created.
Wasabi is one of the most widely known condiments and its flavor is increasingly found in snacks
due to its spiciness.
It is also used in sushi, mixed with soy sauce.
There is a big difference between processed wasabi, which can be found in some restaurants,
and fresh wasabi, which is traditionally ground on a sharkskin grater and harvested.
This is a completely different color and smell, texture and taste.
To answer the question of why fresh wasabi is so expensive, you should look at how this
plant is grown on farms.
One of these farms is located in Nagano Prefecture, 250 kilometers from Tokyo.
This prefecture is the leading agricultural region of Japan, where the most famous vegetables
are grown.
Daiyo Wasabi is the largest wasabi farm in Japan.
If you have ever wondered what a wasabi farm looks like, then it is in front of you.
Wasabi is actually a very delicate plant and grows in very specific conditions.
It is grown not in the field, but literally in the garden, located in the river.
The plant needs running cool spring water and shade to grow.
The plant likes shady places, rocky soil or gravel.
Wasabi can only tolerate year-round temperatures between 8 and 20 degrees Celsius.
Too high humidity as well as unsuitable minerals can cause problems for the plant.
In addition, the plant is susceptible to pests and diseases.
Hilly terrain is the most suitable location as it provides plenty of shade.
Water flows freely through each wasabi bush.
The stones hold the roots of the plant in place.
This mountain water is pure enough to drink.
In addition to the fact that the water must be clean, its temperature throughout the year
must be constant at about 13 degrees Celsius.
Such streams in Nagano make this place ideal for growing wasabi.
This water comes from the snow-capped mountains surrounding the Japanese Alps.
In the spring, when the snow melts, the water brings with it a lot of the minerals that
wasabi needs.
These are nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potassium.
The farm covers the entire river, which gently meanders down the hill.
The wasabi plant is under a light canopy.
Throughout the year, wasabi grows leaves again and again as it develops.
Caring for wasabi fields is hard work.
In heavy rain, rocks can fall downstream and block the water flow.
There is not enough space here to use the technique, so the stones have to be moved
manually.
As already mentioned, wasabi gets all the nutrients from the water, and so that the
water does not drain too quickly, the slope should be gentle.
If the slope is too steep, then tall plants do not get enough water, and they dry out.
However, if the wasabi growing area is almost flat, then the water begins to stagnate, its
temperature rises, and the plants begin to suffer from this.
An inclination of five to six degrees is ideal.
Water also plays another significant role.
To stop the growth of weeds, wasabi releases a strong biochemical that kills weeds at the
same time, it does not allow the plant to grow very much.
What does wasabi look like?
This is how it looks and is sometimes called Japanese horseradish, although it is a different
kind of plant.
The question is, is this the root?
Not!
In fact, wasabi is a stem, as it is submerged in water all the time.
It usually takes over a year to grow, making it expensive.
If you look at the bulges of the stem where the leaves once grew, the large distances
between them indicate that the plant has developed too quickly, and this leads to a weaker taste
of the stem.
The closer the bulges are to each other, the stronger the flavor of the wasabi.
Other parts of wasabi can also be eaten and contain some of what is in the wasabi stem.
For example, wasabi flowers are deep-fried to make tempura, a category of Japanese cuisine
made from battered, deep-fried fish, seafood, and vegetables.
Wasabi is the perfect seasoning for sushi.
It is hidden in rice or can be served separately.
Mix seasoning with soy sauce and enjoy, being careful not to lose the rice.
The taste of wasabi can be found in some snack foods.
It is often sold as a powder or in tubes as a flavoring condiment.
It's time for some sushi.
This girl isn't sure if she likes wasabi yet.
And her mom adds too much wasabi.
Wasabi is also served with soba, a traditional Japanese dish of long brown-gray noodles made
from buckwheat flour.
Seasoning gives an invigorating freshness that enlivens the dish.
Another way to use wasabi is to peel the stem and then grind it up.
It gives a wonderful flavor to broths.
Japan even has Wasabi KitKats.
Its taste is somewhat similar to wasabi, although it's more of just a hint of wasabi, which
is definitely worth a try.
Now let's grab some natural wasabi from the garden.
Owner Kagita-san shows a good spot where the wasabi plant is ready to be pulled out.
The roots of this plant are weakened, so it is easily pulled out of the soil.
In the river, you need to wash away the earth, after which a small root is exposed that protects
the stem.
To get to the valuable wasabi stalk, you need to tear off the roots and leaves.
It can be seen in the middle of the bush.
The wasabi stem is only part of the whole plant.
Now you can finally see it.
This is what the plant looks like in its natural form.
It is in this form that this part of the plant is sold in stores.
If you cut off the top, then the air will immediately be filled with the aroma of wasabi.
Traditionally, wasabi is grated on a sharkskin grater with a thin, firm surface called OROSHIKI.
Press very hard on the stem to get fresh seasoning.
This mint green paste has a strong, pungent, savory taste.
But this effect occurs only when the wasabi cells are destroyed with the help of a grater.
Heat will not appear until the cells of synagrin, a component that is part of wasabi, are destroyed.
The destruction of this substance creates the effect of burning the sinuses.
As early as 15 minutes after rubbing, wasabi begins to lose its taste.
That is why in sushi it is put in rice under the fish.
Fresh wasabi vapors will always hit the nose hard when the stem is first cut.
Therefore, cooks call wasabi tears because this seasoning hits the sinuses hard and makes
the eyes watery.
Why is wasabi so expensive in supermarkets in Japan?
The thing is, no one really knows how big a wasabi stalk will be until it is pulled
out of the ground.
A normal wasabi stem takes 12 to 18 months to mature.
Most wasabi stems are small.
But from time to time, large wasabi can be found.
It's like finding a diamond.
A large wasabi can cost up to 10,000 yen in Tokyo, which is about 3,800 rubles.
This is what wasabi soft ice cream looks like.
In fact, you can make a lot of things out of wasabi.
Like this ice cream that looks like fresh cream with vegetables.
Wasabi can be found in other desserts where the seasoning adds a refreshing feel and actually
enhances the sweetness.
And if this is not enough, then you
can try wasabi juice.
For those looking for something a little stronger, you should try wasabi beer.
It is medium in strength, green and rich in vitamin C.
This beer goes great with a wasabi croquet sandwich garnished with wasabi leaves.
The villagers love this food.
There is wasabi wine and wasabi salad dressing and various ice creams.
There is even a wasabi bear and much more, the range is amazing.
Wasabi is the perfect accompaniment to raw fish.
This seasoning has become an indispensable element of Japanese cuisine.
This chef will show us how to grate wasabi.
First you need to remove all the dirt.
Each bud contains a high amount of aroma, so it's important to remove only the outer
layer, not the bud itself.
Now remove the top part of the plant.
Pruning starts from this end of the plant because the other end is too bitter.
While sharkskin graters are highly valued, metal graters are also very common.
Here, the fine texture of the grater matters for making a quality seasoning.
When rubbing, do not press too hard.
A light touch and circular movements are enough.
Gradually, the wasabi will begin to emit an invigorating aroma.
The result should be a creamy paste of a beautiful pale green color with a sharp aroma of fresh
wasabi.
In this quality, the paste will retain its properties only for 30 minutes, after which
the taste disappears.
Therefore, wasabi should be rubbed just before serving.
The ideal amount of wasabi varies depending on the composition of the dish.
For example, the fat content of tuna should be balanced by adding a little more wasabi
than usual.
For fresh squid or white fish, it is better to use less wasabi, as white fish has less
fat and wasabi tends to lose its appeal.
When eating raw fish, the wasabi should be applied directly to the product and then dipped
into the soy sauce, although mixing the wasabi into the sauce actually detracts from the
flavor.
That's all.
If you liked this video please like and subscribe to the channel.
See
you again.