Waassaaaabe!

[stratcat]

I need some help to settle a bet with my girlfriend. We are both fans of japanese cuisine, and there are a number of fine japanese style restaurants in the area, which we visit often. (I'm the martial arts student, she loves cooking and eating all sorts of stuff.)

However, we disagree as to the correct pronunciation of wasabe. We haven't had the chance to interview the chefs in our restaurants, as they're pretty busy.

So, we turn to you... is it wasabI or is it wasabE?

And just what the $#%! is that stuff made of anyway? ;)

Thanx.
Andy

[john mark]

Originally posted by stratcat
And just what the $#%! is that stuff made of anyway?

Really HOT Green stuff, it comes out of a tube or if you're really lucky it's a powder that you mix with water. I think it's mostly horse radish.


Originally posted by stratcat
So, we turn to you... is it wasabI or is it wasabE?

It's a long E

Hope this helps,

[Dave Lowry]

Wasabi often gets translated as "Japanese horseradish," a compound neologism that's approximately as accurate as referring to judo as "Japanese wrestling."

Different plant. Wasabi comes from Wasabia japonica, indigenous to Japan. It's tough to cultivate; I hear some efforts are underway in the US Northwest. Got to be planted on the northern side of mountains and really doesn't thrive unless there's a constant source of cold, flowing water nearby. It needs about three years to mature for use. Small, not much bigger around than your fingers.

The kick, by the way, is from a specific glucoside sinigrin. It's detonated when the root is ground, which exposes the glucoside to oxygen.

The powdered and paste versions are okay, but if ever you get a chance to try the freshly ground root, which is powerful.

Pronunciation is with the last syllable pronounced "be" as in "to be or not to be." In sushi-ya, the slang term for wasabi is "namida," or "tears," for obvious reasons.

Cordially,

[stratcat]

Well, it pretty much seems my girlfiend and I were both right, in a sense. I spelled wasabe with an E, she with an I. I pronounced it with a short E, she with a long E. Oh, well. In order to keep things peaceful, I guess I'll be forced to concede defeat to my girlfriend and buy dinner this time.

Which is OK. Any excuse is good to eat some sushi! ;)

By the way, supposing that I do get my hands on some wasabia japonica, how would one go about preparing it into the paste?

In any case, thank you all very much for your help.

[Harold James]

Originally posted by stratcat


By the way, supposing that I do get my hands on some wasabia japonica, how would one go about preparing it into the paste?



I don't know where you are at in the world, but if you are anywhere close to a place that has Japanese groceries, or perhaps even Korean food, you should be able to buy it in a tube ready to eat. (S&B makes it even. Kinjirushi is better though.) Or ask a friend in Japan to mail you a tube or two (a tube does last a while) from Japan. Maybe there is an on-line supplier.

If you buy it in the little can in powder form, just put a teaspoon full of it in a little saucer and add a little water bit by bit (stir it up) untill it is the consistancy you want. Firm so it packs together with falling apart.

Personally though, the stuff in the tube is better... of course the root itself is best. After practice, my dojo usually goes out for soba and the place we go gives everyone a wasabi root with a little grater to grate it into the sause for dipping the soba in. They have these little bags to take the leftover wasabi home in. I seem to have a fresh peice of it at home all the time.

I guess I'm just lucky that way!


But, the powdered form of wasabi does mix well with mayo (trust me it's good) and makes a good spread for sandwiches. You can experiment to find level of wasabi you like mixed in with the mayo... too much though and it does tend to come out through your nose.

Get a peice of tuna steak (or ground chicken even) and fry it a pan, put it on a hamburger bun with all the trimmings- onions, lettuce tomato... you know, like a regular burger (maybe hold the mustard though), use the wasabi-mayo and serve with chips and beer. Very yummy!

Let us know if you find any wasabi

[Neil Yamamoto]

The efforts to grow wasabi in the NW have worked pretty well.

What is happening is a take off from hydroponics, pumps to circulate the water, filters to help keep it clean, refrigeration pipes to keep the water cool.

I had some a bit ago from a friend with a restaurant who got some from one of the local people growing it as a gift.

Very fresh powerful aroma, makes the powdered stuff seem like garbage. Most of the so called wasabi here in the U.S. is actually horseradish, green food coloring, and chinese mustard.

One thing that needs to be done with the fresh wasabi is to grate it very very fine. Otherwise it really misses on the depth of flavor. The leaves cut up make an interesting addition to a salad as well.

Oh, yeah, be ready to pay about $60 for enough of the fresh stuff to serve 3-4 people.