Wasabi or Japanese horseradish is an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine and is served traditionally with raw fish (sushi and sashimi) and noodle (soba) dishes. Fresh wasabi is a root-like rhizome which has a unusual bright green colour and is said to be effective as an antidote for preventing food poisoning.

This week whilst I was in Japan, I was determined to locate fresh wasabi and was surprised to find it at the first markets we visited. Fresh wasabi is often very hard to locate as its one of the most difficult vegetables in the world to grow. Few locations in the world are suited for growing wasabi. Fresh wasabi is currently being grown in Tasmania Australia in very small quantities, as the environment is very similar to Japan’s cold climate.

Most Australian chefs don’t realise that powdered wasabi is made mainly from seiyo-wasabi (western horseradish) powder, mustard powder, and food colorings. However, the Japanese brands of tubed wasabi (such as S&B) include a mixture of both real wasabi and western horseradish.

After the markets, I headed back to the hotel and Nobuhisa Fujita, Executive Sous Chef of the Hilton Nagoya showed me how to prepare the wasabi. His advice was to peel the outside skin and grate the wasabi from the root end in a circular motion using a fine grater. After forming small balls of wasabi, allow it to sit for 10 minutes before using. I was utterly impressed with the amazing fresh flavour and would be very interested in trying the Australian grown Wasabi to compare the flavours.