About WASABI

Sawa-wasabi

The Japanese native wild botanical, wasabi, is an evergreen herbaceous perennial that belongs to the Brassicaceae or mustard family. Sawa-wasabi grows wild in the cold, clear waters that flow through the valleys and gorges of deep mountain areas and is cultivated in places with similar conditions. The optimal location for cultivation would be a place with abundant spring water that maintains a temperature of ≤16°C in the summer and ≥10°C in the winter, surrounded by deciduous woodland, shaded by tree cover in the summer, yet still able to receive the warm rays of sunlight that pass through the gaps between the trees. The Izu district in Shizuoka Prefecture has valleys and gorges that provide the abovementioned optimal conditions for hon-wasabi cultivation. Therefore, the largest production area for hon-wasabi in Japan is in Izu.

Hatake-wasabi

Wasabi that is grown by simply sowing seeds in soil is thus known as hatake-wasabi “hatake” means “field”. It is primarily cultivated for the purpose of harvesting the stem and is grown by forced cultivation (using greenhouses) in Shizuoka, Nagano, Shimane, and Yamaguchi Prefectures, as well as in Tokyo. It is also being cultivated overseas in countries such as Taiwan, Indonesia, and Canada. The majority of this is used for processed products such as wasabizuke (pickled wasabi) and wasabi paste.

Seiyo-wasabi

Seiyo-wasabi is a perennial plant cultivated in northern Europe. In Japan, it is also referred to as wasabi-daikon (daikon = Japanese white radish). In English, it is called horseradish; in French, it is called raifort. Because it has a spicy flavor similar to that of hon-wasabi, it is often used as a spice. The root part is also sliced and used as a garnish for meat dishes or grated into a sauce for dressing fish dishes. It has also been used in Europe since the medieval times for medicinal purposes, as a preservative, or to increase appetite. Today, it is dried and used as the main ingredient in powdered wasabi.