page_title: List of Japanese condiments
section_title: Wasabi
hierarchical_section_title: List of Japanese condiments / Sauces and pastes / Wasabi
caption_attribution_description: Wasabi crop grown on the Izu peninsula of Japan.
context_page_description: This is a list of Japanese condiments by type.
context_section_description: Wasabi is a member of the family Brassicaceae, which includes cabbages, horseradish and mustard. Known as "Japanese horseradish", its root is used as a spice and has an extremely strong flavour. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapors that irritate the nasal passages more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. There are also other species used,  such as W. koreana, and W. tetsuigi. The two main cultivars in the marketplace are W. japonica cv. 'Daruma' and cv. 'Mazuma', but there are many others.
  Wasabi is generally sold either in the form of a root which must be very finely grated before use, or as a ready-to-use paste (either real wasabi or a mixture of horseradish, mustard and food coloring), usually in tubes approximately the size and shape of travel toothpaste tubes. The paste form is commonly horseradish-based, since fresh wasabi is extremely perishable and more expensive than horseradish. Once the paste is prepared it should remain covered until served to protect the flavor from evaporation.  For this reason, sushi chefs usually put the wasabi between the fish and the rice.
caption: Wasabi growing on the Izu Peninsula.
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