Editing Wasabi (section)

==Surrogates==
Wasabi favors growing conditions that restrict its wide cultivation&nbsp;– among other things, it is quite intolerant of direct sunlight, requires an air temperature between {{convert|8|and|20|C|F}}, and prefers high humidity in summer. This makes fully satisfying commercial demand impossible for growers, which makes wasabi quite expensive.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realwasabi.com/cultivation/index.asp |title=Wasabi is quite picky about its growing conditions |website=Real Wasabi |publisher=Real Wasabi, LLC |location=Cullowhee, NC |access-date=25 October 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Palmer |first=J. |title=Germination and growth of wasabi (Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsumara) |url={{google books|YT2LT11Vg2MC|page=PA161|plainurl=yes}} |pages=161–164 |journal=New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science/Experimental Agriculture |date=1990 |volume=18 |issue=2–3 |access-date=25 October 2016 |doi=10.1080/01140671.1990.10428089 |doi-access=free |bibcode=1990NZJCH..18..161P }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=18 September 2014 |last=Gittleson |first=Kim |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29082091 |title=Wasabi: Why invest in 'the hardest plant to grow'? |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=25 October 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919041649/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29082091 |archive-date=19 September 2014 }}</ref> Therefore, outside Japan, finding real wasabi plants is rare.

A common substitute is a mixture of horseradish, mustard, [[starch]], and green food colouring or spinach powder.<ref>{{cite news |first=Roberto A. |last=Ferdman |title=The wasabi sushi restaurants serve is pretty much never actual wasabi|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=15 October 2014| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/10/15/why-the-wasabi-sushi-restaurants-serve-is-almost-never-actual-wasabi/|access-date=17 January 2018}}</ref> Often packages are labelled as wasabi while the ingredients do not include any part of the wasabi plant. The primary difference is colour, with wasabi being naturally green.<ref>{{cite book |title=The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium International Cookbook |first1=Donald A. |last1=Gazzaniga |first2=Maureen A. |last2=Gazzaniga |publisher=Macmillan |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4668-1915-3 |chapter-url={{Google books|nXyJhXZlkasC|plainurl=yes}} |chapter=Glossary |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nXyJhXZlkasC&dq=%22wasabi%22&pg=PA301 301] |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> Fresh horseradish root is described as having a similar (albeit simpler) flavor and texture to that of fresh wasabi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spiceography.com/wasabi-substitute/|title = What's a Good Wasabi Substitute?|date = 14 June 2018}}</ref>

In Japan, horseradish is referred to as {{nihongo3|"western wasabi"|西洋わさび|seiyō wasabi}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-items/sushi-items-wasabi.htm |website=The Sushi FAQ  |title=Sushi Items – Wasabi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806033433/http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-items/sushi-items-wasabi.htm |archive-date=6 August 2011 |access-date=9 August 2016 }}</ref> Outside of Japan, where fresh wasabi is hard to obtain, a powdered mixture of horseradish and mustard oil, known as {{transliteration|ja|kona wasabi}}, is used at a majority of sushi restaurants, including reputable ones.<ref name="mouritsen">{{Cite book |last=Mouritsen |first=Ole G. |url=https://archive.org/details/sushi-food-for-the-eye-the-body-and-the-soul/ |title=Sushi: Food for the Eye, the Body, and the Soul |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4419-0617-5 |pages=107–109 |language=en}}</ref> In the United States, true wasabi is generally found only at specialty grocers and high-end restaurants.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sarah |last=Skidmore |date=1 March 2007 |website=Effingham Daily News |location=Effingham, IL |url=http://effinghamdailynews.com/business/x519449241/CONDIMENTS-Wasabi-real-vs-fake |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721233649/http://effinghamdailynews.com/business/x519449241/CONDIMENTS-Wasabi-real-vs-fake |archive-date=2012-07-21 |title=Condiments – Wasabi: real vs. fake |url-status=dead}}</ref>