Many of us have never tried real wasabi.
Even if you regularly eat sushi and go to fancy restaurants, it’s unlikely you’ve gotten the real deal. This is because getting the pure ingredient is quite difficult, especially in the UK.
The American Chemical Society found that most wasabi consumed in Europe and the United States contains minimal amounts of the Japanese plant.
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Wasabi is notoriously difficult to grow as it must have access to a constant and stable flow of water. It is also difficult to grow in large quantities.
This reduces the supply and increases the cost of real wasabi. As a result, restaurants and supermarkets usually use dyed horseradish instead.
This is evidenced by S&B Wasabi, which is sold in places such as Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. Also called “horseradish wasabi paste,” the 43g packet contains minimal Japanese ingredients.
The paste contains 31.7% horseradish – six times more than the amount of wasabi, which makes up only 4.5% of the product.
Other ingredients include potato starch, water, turmeric and salt. Some dyes have also been added which are likely to give the piece a vibrant hue.
Yataka seasonings, sold in stores such as Tesco and Asda, also contain minimal amounts of wasabi.
In a 43g package of Yutaka Wasabi Paste, you can expect 22% horseradish powder compared to 5% wasabi powder. Other ingredients include mustard powder, mustard oil, turmeric and soybean oil.
The more you know, eh!
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