Wasabi, also know as “Japanese Horseradish”, is used as a spice in some Japanese food. The taste is very strong and spicy much like hot mustard – you know, the kind you feel in the back of your nose towards the brain area.
Wasabi grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan and it can be purchased in the root, paste or powder forms. Wasabi is often served with sushi or sashimi, usually accompanied with soy sauce. The two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. Research has shown that Japanese Wasabi has beneficial effects such as inhibiting microbe growth.
