W is for Wasabi

This is not a W which has ever occupied my thoughts much. Come to think of it I'd be surprised if many of our ancestors would have heard of it. For me, it's bracketed in the Foods From Hell section, along with English mustard.

The comparison is hardly surprising, since they are both members of the same family, albeit some several thousand miles apart. Japanese food started to become popular in the UK in the 1980s. Where sushi goes, wasabi follows. Part of the dislike, of course, comes through careless use. People coming to this country from Spain or Germany, where the mustard is milder and sweeter, have come a horrible cropper by spreading a thick layer on a steak. Similarly, apply more than the merest sliver of wasabi and your nose will not forgive you.

So what is the stuff? It's actually more akin to horseradish, where you grate the root (or rhizome, to be technical) and make a paste. It's quite difficult to grow, even in Japan. It needs a fairly narrow temperature range, dislikes direct sunlight, and likes high humidity. There is one business in the UK, imaginatively named The Wasabi Company, which grows it. No mean feat, given that it needs about 18 months. The company is based in Dorset, but they grow their wasabi at a secret location, to guard their growing technique. I see that doesn't stop them selling what they describe as a Fresh Wasabi Pro & Grow Kit. How detailed the growing instructions are I do not know.

In Japan, horseradish is known as western wasabi. As ever, where a product is in short supply, imitations abound. I was dismayed but not surprised to learn that much of what is sold as wasabi does not, in fact, contain any of the plant. Mix horseradish, mustard, starch and green food colouring and you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time. I suppose the name of western wasabi keeps it the right side of the food labelling regulations. As I've never bought any I wouldn't know. If you have some in your fridge or store cupboard, have a look at the packaging and let me know.

Once upon a time you would traditionally use sharkskin to grate your root. (I have no idea why I threw that in, but it tickled me.) As for grating wasabi or horseradish, it'll do more than just tickle your nose. If you know of anyone with a blocked sinus, suggest that as a cure. The heat can be blistering, but wasabi heat differs from chilli in that the latter attack the tongue and mouth.

So, how to use it and avoid extreme pain? Some sushi chefs will put a thin layer between the fish and the rice, as wasabi loses its flavour very quickly if exposed to air. I did witness one chef who simply used a cocktail stick and applied the tiniest sliver. But do you want Tom's top tip for wasabi? Simple. Chuck it in the bin.