Editing Wasabi

{{short description|Species of edible plant}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2023}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Wasabi
| image = Wasabia japonica 4.JPG
| genus = Eutrema
| species = japonicum
| authority = ([[Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel|Miq.]]) [[Gen-ichi Koidzumi|Koidz.]]<ref name="Curtis"/>
| synonyms = 
*''Wasabia japonica'' <small>(Miq.) Matsum.</small>
*''Alliaria wasabi'' <small>(Maxim.) Prantl</small>
*''Cochlearia wasabi'' <small>Siebold.</small>
*''Eutrema koreanum''<!-- not in POWO, from where? --> 
*''Eutrema okinosimense'' <small>Taken.</small>
*''Eutrema wasabi'' <small>Maxim</small>  	
*''Lunaria japonica'' ([[basionym]]) <small>Miq.</small><ref name="Miquel"/>
*''Wasabia hederifolia''<!-- not in POWO, from where? -->
*''Wasabia okinosimensis'' <small>(Taken.) Hatus.</small>
*''Wasabia pungens'' <small>Matsum.</small>
*''Wasabia wasabi'' <small>(Maxim.) Makino</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="POWO">{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:284345-1 |title= ''Eutrema japonicum'' Koidz. Fl. Symb. Orient.-Asiat. : 22 (1930) |date= 2022 |website= Plants of the World Online |publisher=  Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date= 4 December 2022}}</ref>
}}
'''Wasabi''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: {{lang|ja|ワサビ}}, {{lang|ja|わさび}}, or {{lang|ja|山葵}}, {{IPA|ja|waꜜsabi|pron}}) or '''Japanese horseradish''' (''Eutrema japonicum''<ref name="POWO"/> syn. ''Wasabia japonica'')<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Wasabia.html#japonica |title=Wasabia japonica |publisher=Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database, University of Melbourne |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> is a plant of the family [[Brassicaceae]], which also includes [[horseradish]] and [[Mustard plant|mustard]] in other [[genus|genera]]. The plant is [[Native species|native]] to Japan, the [[Russian Far East]]<ref name="Curtis">{{cite journal |jstor=48505819 |title=Eutrema Japonicum |author=Iwashina Tsukasa |author-link=:ja:岩科司 |journal=[[Curtis's Botanical Magazine]] |volume=33 |number=3 |year=2016 |pages=217–225 |publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]] |doi=10.1111/curt.12151}}</ref> including [[Sakhalin]], and the [[Korea|Korean Peninsula]].<ref name="Eutrema">{{cite journal |jstor=41761810 |title=A Synopsis of Eutrema (Brassicaceae) |author1=Al-Shehbaz, Ihsan A. |author2=Warwick, Suzanne I. |journal=[[Harvard Papers in Botany]] |publisher=[[Harvard University Herbaria]] |year=2005 |volume=10 |number=2 |pages=129–135|doi=10.3100/1043-4534(2005)10[129:ASOEB]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85833186 }}</ref>{{rp|133}} It grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan.

Wasabi is grown for its [[rhizome]]s, which are ground into a paste as a [[Pungency|pungent]] condiment for [[sushi]] and other foods. It is similar in taste to hot mustard or horseradish rather than [[Chili pepper|chilli peppers]], in that it stimulates the nose more than the tongue, but freshly grated wasabi has a subtly distinct flavour.<ref name=growing_edge>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lZD95wlLhxIC |title=The Best Of Growing Edge International, 2000–2005 |editor1-last=Weller |editor1-first=Thomas |editor2-last=Peckenpaugh |editor2-first=Douglas |chapter=Hydroponic Production of Wasabi & Japanese Vegetables |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lZD95wlLhxIC&pg=PA53 |last=Morgan |first=Lynette |publisher=New Moon Publishing |isbn=978-0-944557-05-1 |year=2005 |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref>{{rp|53}} The main cultivars in the marketplace are ''E. japonicum'' 'Daruma' and 'Mazuma', but there are many others.<ref name=growing_edge/>

The oldest record of wasabi as a food dates to the 8th century AD.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.kinjirushi.co.jp/himitu/rekishi.html |title=わさびの歴史 |language=ja|trans-title=History of Wasabi|publisher=Kinjirushi |date=2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010418182941/http://www.kinjirushi.co.jp/himitu/rekishi.html |archive-date=18 April 2001 |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> The popularity of wasabi in English-speaking countries has coincided with that of sushi, growing steadily from about 1980.<ref>Frequency of "wasabi" and "sushi" in English-language sources from 1950 to 2008 [https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=wasabi%2Csushi&year_start=1950&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3 wasabi vs. sushi in Google Books Ngram Viewer]; [https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=wasabi%2Fsushi%2Cwasabi%2FJapanese+food%2Cwasabi%2FJapanese+restaurant%2Cwasabi%2Fsashimi%2Cwasabi%2Ftempura&year_start=1950&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3 wasabi tracks sushi, not other Japanese foods]</ref> Due to constraints that limit the Japanese wasabi plant's mass cultivation and thus increase its price and decrease availability outside Japan, the western horseradish plant is widely used in place of wasabi. This is commonly referred to as "western wasabi" ({{lang|ja|西洋わさび}}) in Japan.

== Taxonomy ==
[[File:Fresh wasabi rhizomes.jpg|thumb|left|Fresh wasabi stems]]
[[Philipp Franz von Siebold|Siebold]] named ''Cochlearia (?) wasabi'' in 1830, noting its use ''pro condimento'' or "as a condiment";<ref name="Siebold">{{cite journal |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41198987 |title=Synopsis Plantarum Oeconomicarum Universi Regni Japonici |author=[[Philipp Franz von Siebold|Siebold]] |journal=Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen |issn=0215-1375 |year=1830 |volume=12 |pages=1–74}}</ref>{{rp|54}} however, this is a ''[[nomen nudum]]'', and the [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonym]] ''Eutrema wasabi'', published by [[Karl Maximovich|Maximovich]] in 1873,<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3932050 |title=Diagnoses plantarum novarum Japoniae et Mandshuriae |trans-title=Diagnoses des nouvelles plantes du Japon et de la Mandjourie |author=[[Karl Maximovich|Maximowicz, C.J.]] |journal=Bulletin de l'Académie impériale des sciences de St-Pétersbourg |year=1873 |series=3 |volume=18 |at=cols. 275–296}}</ref>{{rp|283}} is thus an [[Nomen illegitimum|illegitimate name]].<ref name="Eutrema"/>{{rp|133}} The wasabi plant was first [[Species description|described]] by [[Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel|Miquel]] in 1866, as ''Lunaria (?) japonica'', from the [[Type (biology)|type]] collected by Siebold in Japan, though the precise [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] was not recorded.<ref name="Miquel">{{cite journal |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/652432 |title=Prolusio Florae Japonicae |author=[[Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel|Miquel, F.A.G.]] |journal=Annales Musei Botanici Lugduno-Batavi |year=1866 |volume=2 |pages=69–212}}</ref>{{rp|74}}

In 1899 [[Jinzō Matsumura|Matsumura]] erected the genus ''[[Wasabia]]'', recognising within it the species ''Wasabia pungens'' and ''Wasabia hederaefolia'';<ref name="Matsumura">{{cite journal |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41670360 |title=Notulae ad plantas asiaticas orientales |author=[[Jinzō Matsumura|Matsumura, J.]] |journal=[[Bot. Mag. (Tokyo)]] |volume=13 |number=148 |year=1899 |pages=71–73}}</ref> these are now regarded as [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonyms]] of ''Eutrema japonicum''.<ref name="Eutrema"/>{{rp|133}} In 1912 Matsumura recognised the species ''Wasabia japonica'', treating his earlier ''Wasabia pungens'' as a synonym.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12322832 |title=Index plantarum Japonicarum, sive, Enumeratio plantarum omnium ex insulis Kurile, Yezo, Nippon, Sikoku, Kiusiu, Liukiu, et Formosa hucusque cognitarum systematice et alphabetice disposita adjectis synonymis selectis, nominibus Japonicis, locis natalibus |author=[[Jinzō Matsumura|Matsumura, J.]] |publisher=[[Maruzen]] |place=Tokyo |year=1912 |volume=II(2) |page=161}}</ref> In 1930, [[Gen-ichi Koidzumi|Koidzumi]] transferred the wasabi plant to the genus ''[[Eutrema]]'',<ref name="Koidzumi">{{cite book |url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1678848 |title=Florae symbolae Orientali-Asiaticae; sive, contributions to the knowledge of the flora of Eastern Asia |author=[[Gen-ichi Koidzumi|Koidzumi, G.]] |place=Kyoto |year=1930}}</ref> the [[correct name]] and [[Author citation (botany)|author citation]] being ''Eutrema japonicum'' ([[Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel|Miq.]]) [[Gen-ichi Koidzumi|Koidz.]]<ref name="Curtis"/>

== Description ==
It has large leaves produced from long, thin stalks.<ref name=growing_edge/>{{rp|54}} They are simple and large, {{convert|3-6|in|cm}} long and {{convert|3-6|in|cm}} wide with palmate veins.<ref name="PlantToolbox">{{cite web |url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/eutrema-japonicum/ |title=''Eutrema japonicum'' |date=n.d. |website=North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox |publisher=North Carolina State University |access-date=4 December 2022 }}</ref>

Wasabi flowers appear in clusters from long stems that bloom from late winter to early spring.<ref name="PlantToolbox"/>{{Additional citation needed|date=December 2022}}

== Culinary uses ==
[[File:Wasabi 002.jpg|thumb|Wasabi root and wasabi paste on a plate]]

=== As condiment ===
Wasabi is mainly used to make wasabi paste, which is a pungent, spicy condiment eaten with foods like [[sushi]]. The part used for wasabi paste has been characterized as the [[rhizome]] or the [[Plant stem|stem]], or the "rhizome plus the base part of the stem".<ref>"Wasabi – Botanical Notes" in P. N. Ravindran, ''The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices'', 2017, {{isbn|978-1-78064-315-1}}, p. 1048</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first1=Tamanna |last1=Sultana |first2=Geoffrey P |last2=Savage |first3=David L |last3=McNeil |first4=Noel G |last4=Porter |first5=Richard J |last5=Martin |first6=Bas |last6=Deo |title=Effects of fertilisation on the allyl isothiocyanate profile of above-ground tissues of New Zealand-grown wasabi |journal=Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture |volume=82 |issue=13 |pages=1477–1482 |date=October 2002 |doi=10.1002/jsfa.1218 |bibcode=2002JSFA...82.1477S }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |section=Eutrema japonicum: Edible Plant Parts and Uses |first=Tong Kwee |last=Lim |title=Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs |url={{google books|t22vBQAAQBAJ|page=790|plainurl=yes}} |year=2014 |isbn=978-94-017-9511-1 |page=[{{google books|t22vBQAAQBAJ|page=790|plainurl=yes}} 790] |publisher=Springer }}</ref> Stores generally sell only this part of the plant.

The fresh rhizome is grated into a paste, and eaten in small amounts at a time. Traditionally, coarse [[shagreen|sharkskin]] is used to grate the root, but metal graters called ''[[oroshigane]]'' are used in modern times. Fresh wasabi paste loses its flavor quickly if left uncovered, and so the paste is grated on the spot in some high-end restaurants.<ref name="wasabicen">{{cite magazine |first=Celia Henry |last=Arnaud |url=http://cen.acs.org/articles/88/i12/Wasabi.html |volume=88 |issue=12 |page=48 |date=22 March 2010 |title=What's wasabi, and is your fiery buzz legit? |magazine=[[Chemical & Engineering News]] |publisher=[[American Chemical Society]] |issn=0009-2347 |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> Sushi chefs usually put the wasabi between the fish and the rice, to cover the wasabi and preserve its flavour.

Store-bought wasabi paste is usually made from dried wasabi powder, and sold in bottles or squeezable [[toothpaste]]-like tubes.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wIOcYVPYfkAC&q=toothpaste&pg=PT228 |title=The Connoisseur's Guide to Sushi: Everything You Need to Know about Sushi |first=Dave |last=Lowry |publisher=[[The Harvard Common Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-55832-307-0 |page=205 |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" heights="150" widths="150" mode="packed">
Wasabi (9452965932).jpg|Wasabi paste on a plate of [[sushi]]
Wasabi on green shiso leaves by june29.jpg|Wasabi paste on a [[Shiso|green shiso]] leaf
Benkei Soba (1183903385).jpg|Wasabi in a bowl of noodles, with [[nameko]] mushrooms
Wasabi - Shizuoka - 2024 11 4.webm|thumbtime=3|Fresh wasabi on display and wasabi being grated
Takowasabi (2014-02-15).JPG|''Tako-wasabi'', raw [[octopus]] mixed with wasabi 
Itawasa by jetalone in Tsukiji, Tokyo.jpg|''[[Kamaboko|Itawasa]]'' with wasabi
司こなや 新屋 (17067887810).jpg|Wasabi with [[soba]] noodles
Chef Grating Wasabi (12007382115).jpg|A chef grating fresh wasabi root
WasabiOnOroshigane.jpg|Wasabi and metal ''[[oroshigane]]'' grater
Wasabi sauce.jpg|Bottle of horseradish, artificial flavorings, and wasabi powder 
</gallery>

=== As flavoring ===
[[File:Wasabi coated green peas.jpg|thumb|Wasabi coated [[peas]]]]
Wasabi is used to flavor many foods, especially dry [[snacks]]. {{nihongo3|"wasabi bean"|わさび豆|Wasabi-mame}} are [[legume]]s (peanuts, soybeans, or peas) that are roasted or fried and then coated with wasabi powder, and eaten as a snack.

=== Others ===
[[File:Azumino Wasabizuke-3.jpg|thumb|''Wasabizuke'', wasabi leaves pickled in [[Sake kasu|sake lees]]]]
Fresh wasabi leaves can be eaten raw, having a spicy flavor,<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is wasabi and how should you use it? |url=https://www.lovefood.com/guides/76834/what-is-wasabi-and-how-should-you-use-it |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=lovefood.com |language=en}}</ref> but a common side effect is [[diarrhea]].<ref name="PlantToolbox"/> ''Wasabizuke'' is made of wasabi leaves pickled in [[Sake kasu|sake lees]], and is considered a specialty of [[Shizuoka Prefecture]].

==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>

==Chemistry==
[[File:Wasabi, Iwasaki Kanen 1828.jpg|thumb|left|Drawing of a wasabi plant, by [[Iwasaki Kanen]], 1828]]

The chemical in wasabi that provides its initial pungency is the volatile compound [[allyl isothiocyanate]], which is produced by [[hydrolysis]] of allyl glucosinolate, a natural thioglucoside (conjugates of the sugar glucose and sulfur-containing organic compounds); the hydrolysis reaction is catalyzed by [[myrosinase]] and occurs when the enzyme is released on cell rupture caused by maceration&nbsp;– e.g., grating&nbsp;– of the plant.<ref name="Ina">{{cite journal |author1=Kazuo Ina |author2=Hiroji Ina |author3=Mikako Ueda |author4=Akihito Yagi |author5=Isao Kishima |year=1989 |title=ω-Methylthioalkyl Isothiocyanates in Wasabi |journal=[[Agricultural and Biological Chemistry]] |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=537–538 |doi=10.1271/bbb1961.53.537 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Masuda">{{cite book |author1=Hideki Masuda |author2=Yasuhiro Harada |author3=Kunio Tanaka |author4=Masahiro Nakajima |author5=Hideki Tabeta |year=1996 |chapter=Characteristic Odorants of Wasabi (''Wasabia japonica matum''), Japanese Horseradish, in Comparison with Those of Horseradish (''Armoracia rusticana'') |title=Biotechnology for Improved Foods and Flavors |pages=67–78 |doi=10.1021/bk-1996-0637.ch006 |series=ACS Symposium Series |volume=637 |isbn=9780841234215 |publisher=[[American Chemical Society]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freshwasabi.com/tech.aspx |title=Condiments – Wasabi: real vs. fake |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711040526/http://www.freshwasabi.com/tech.aspx |archive-date=11 July 2011 |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> The same compound is responsible for the pungency of horseradish and mustard. Allyl isothiocyanate can also be released when the wasabi plants have been damaged because it is being used as a defense mechanism.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Atsumi|first1=A |last2=Saito|first2=T |year=2015|title=Volatiles from wasabi inhibit entomopathogenic fungi: implications for tritrophic interactions and biological control|journal=Journal of Plant Interactions|volume=10|issue=1|pages=152–157 |issn=1742-9145|doi=10.1080/17429145.2015.1039613|doi-access=free|bibcode=2015JPlaI..10..152A |hdl=10297/9349|hdl-access=free}}</ref> The sensory neural target of mustard oil is the chemosensory receptor, [[TRPA1]], also known as the wasabi receptor.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Zhao|first1=Jianhua|last2=Lin King|first2=John V.|last3=Paulsen|first3=Candice E.|last4=Cheng|first4=Yifan|last5=Julius|first5=David|date=2020-07-08|title=Irritant-evoked activation and calcium modulation of the TRPA1 receptor|journal=Nature|volume=585|issue=7823|language=en|pages=141–145|doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2480-9|pmid=32641835|pmc=7483980|bibcode=2020Natur.585..141Z|s2cid=220407248|issn=1476-4687}}</ref>

The unique flavour of wasabi is a result of complex chemical mixtures from the broken cells of the plant, including those resulting from the hydrolysis of thioglucosides, including [[sinigrin]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yu |first1=E. Y. |last2=Pickering |first2=I. J. |last3=George |first3=G. N. |last4=Prince |first4=R. C. |title=In situ observation of the generation of isothiocyanates from sinigrin in horseradish and wasabi |journal=Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects |volume=1527 |issue=3 |pages=156–160 |doi=10.1016/s0304-4165(01)00161-1 |pmid=11479032 |date=15 August 2001}}</ref> and other glucosinolates, into glucose and methylthioalkyl [[isothiocyanate]]s:<ref name="wasabicen"/><ref name="Ina"/><ref name="Masuda"/>

* 6-(Methylsulfinyl)hexyl isothiocyanate ([[6-MITC]])
* 7-Methylthioheptyl isothiocyanate
* 8-Methylthiooctyl isothiocyanate

Such isothiocyanates [[antimicrobial|inhibit microbial growth]], perhaps with implications for preserving food against spoilage and suppressing oral [[bacterial growth]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TdQtFQZ5XCQC&q=antimicrobial+isothiocyanates&pg=PA12 |title=Food preservation techniques |first1=P. |last1=Zeuthen |first2=Leif |last2=Bøgh-Sørensen |page=12 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing Limited |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-85573-530-9 |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref>

Because the burning sensations of wasabi are not oil-based, they are short-lived compared to the effects of [[capsaicin]] in [[chilli pepper]]s and are washed away with more food or liquid. The sensation is felt primarily in the nasal passage and can be painful depending on the amount consumed. Inhaling or sniffing wasabi vapor has an effect like smelling salts, a property exploited by researchers attempting to create a smoke alarm for the deaf. One deaf subject participating in a test of the prototype awoke within 10&nbsp;seconds of wasabi vapour sprayed into his sleeping chamber.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wasabi Silent Fire Alarm Alerts the Deaf with the Power of Scent |url=http://inventorspot.com/articles/wasabi_silent_fire_alarm_alerts__11514 |publisher=InvestorSpot |author=Levenstein, Steve |access-date=9 August 2016 |archive-date=10 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310144126/http://inventorspot.com/articles/wasabi_silent_fire_alarm_alerts__11514 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[List of Ig Nobel Prize winners#2011|2011 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] was awarded to the researchers for determining the ideal density of airborne wasabi to wake people in the event of an emergency.<ref>{{cite web |title= Winners of the Ig® Nobel Prize: 2011 |website=Improbable Research |date=August 2006 |url=https://www.improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2011 |access-date=22 March 2019 }}</ref>

==Nutritional information==
Wasabi is normally consumed in such small quantities that its nutritional value is negligible. The major constituents of raw wasabi root are carbohydrates (23.5%), water (69.1%), fat (0.63%), and protein (4.8%).<ref>{{cite web |date=April 2018 |title=Basic Report: 11990, Wasabi, root, raw |website=National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service |url=https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/11990 |access-date=11 August 2018 |archive-date=13 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713005856/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/11990 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Cultivation==
[[File:山葵田 Wasabi Fields - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Wasabi crop growing at [[Azumino, Nagano|Azumino]], [[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]], Japan]]

Few places are suitable for large-scale wasabi cultivation, which is difficult even in ideal conditions. In Japan, wasabi is cultivated mainly in these regions:

* [[Izu Peninsula]] in [[Shizuoka Prefecture]] ("Traditional Wasabi Cultivation in Shizuoka, Japan" is a [[Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems|Globally]] and [[List of Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (Japan)|Japanese Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage System]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/giahs/giahsaroundtheworld/designated-sites/asia-and-the-pacific/traditional-wasabi-cultivation-in-shizuoka-japan/en/ |title=Traditional Wasabi Cultivation in Shizuoka, Japan |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |access-date=13 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/kantai/giahs_3_122.html |script-title=ja:静岡県 わさび栽培地域 |trans-title=Shizuoka Prefecture – Wasabi Cultivation Area |language=ja |publisher=[[Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)|Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries]] |access-date=13 June 2022}}</ref>)
* [[Nagano Prefecture]] including the [[Daio Wasabi Farm]] in [[Azumino, Nagano|Azumino]] (a popular tourist attraction and the world's largest commercial wasabi farm)
* [[Iwate Prefecture]]
* [[Shimane Prefecture]] known as its [[Hikimi wasabi]]

[[File:Azumino Wasabi fields-2.jpg|thumb|Wasabi roots being sold in [[Azumino, Nagano|Azumino]], [[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]]]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;" 
|+ 2016 wasabi production in Japan (metric tonnes)<ref>{{cite web |title=特用林産物生産統計調査-平成28年特用林産基礎資料 – 2016年 – 3.平成28年主要品目別生産動向 – (16)わさび(生産量） |trans-title=Wasabi production |date=2017-09-13 |publisher=e-Stat (Statistics of Japan)| url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&lid=000001191364}} [https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/file-download?statInfId=000031623341&fileKind=0 Excel file u008-28-032.xls]</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Prefecture || colspan="2" |Cultivated in water|| colspan="2" |Cultivated in soil || colspan="3" |Total
|-
! Stem || Leafstalk || Stem || Leafstalk || Stem || Leafstalk ||Total
|-
|Nagano ||  226.9  ||  611.4  ||  2.7  ||  14.7  ||  229.6  ||  626.1  ||  855.7 
|-
|Iwate ||  8.2  ||  5.5  ||  16.0  ||  488.4  ||  24.2  ||  493.9  ||  518.1 
|-
|Shizuoka ||  237.9  ||  129.2  ||  -  ||  138.1  ||  237.9  ||  267.3  ||  505.2 
|-
|Kochi ||  0.1  ||  0.1  || 26.7 ||  45.8  ||  26.8  ||  45.9  ||  72.7 
|-
|Shimane ||  3.5  ||  1.7  ||  1.8  ||  42.5  ||  5.3  ||  44.2  ||  49.5 
|-
|Oita || 0.1 || 0.6 ||  38.8  ||  9.5  ||  38.9  ||  10.1  ||  49.0 
|-
|Others ||  32.9  ||  59.7  ||  46.4  ||  76.3  ||  79.3  ||  136.0  ||  215.3 
|-
!Total ||  509.6  ||  808.2  ||  132.4  ||  815.3  ||  642.0  ||  1,623.5  ||  2,265.5 
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;" 
|+ 2009 wasabi production in Japan (metric tonnes)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/Xlsdl.do?sinfid=000008212478 |title=(title in Japanese) |trans-title=Wasabi (Production) |publisher=Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan |language=ja |format=xls |access-date=10 August 2016}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Prefecture || colspan="2" |Cultivated in water|| colspan="2" |Cultivated in soil || colspan="3" |Total
|-
! Stem || Leafstalk || Stem || Leafstalk || Stem || Leafstalk ||Total
|-
! [[Shizuoka Prefecture|Shizuoka]] 
| 295.1 || 638.2 || 4.5 || 232.3 || 299.6 || 870.5 || 1,170.1 
|-
! [[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]] 
| 316.8 || 739.2 || 7.2 || 16.8 || 324.0 || 756.0 || 1,080.0 
|-
! [[Iwate Prefecture|Iwate]] 
| 8.8 || 1.5 || 2.4 || 620.5 || 11.2 || 622.0 || 633.2 
|-
! [[Shimane Prefecture|Shimane]] 
| 2.4 || 10.1 || 9.0 || 113.0 || 11.4 || 123.1 || 134.5 
|-
! [[Ōita Prefecture|Oita]] 
| 0.5 || 8.9 || – || 94.0 || 0.5 || 102.9 || 103.4 
|-
! [[Yamaguchi Prefecture|Yamaguchi]] 
| 2.5 || 2.2 || 22.5 || 54.2 || 25.0 || 56.4 || 81.4 
|-
! Others 
| 65.8 || 48.1 || 61.7 || 108.0 || 127.5 || 156.1 || 283.6 
|-
! Total || 691.9 || 1,448.2 || 107.3 || 1,238.8 || 799.2 || 2,687.0 || 3,486.2 
|}

Numerous artificial cultivation{{clarify|reason=What kind of artificial, greenhouses? All cultivation is artificial in a way.|date=February 2024}} facilities also exist as far north as [[Hokkaido]] and as far south as [[Kyushu]]. As the demand for real wasabi is higher than that which can be produced within Japan, Japan imports copious amounts of wasabi from the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Taiwan]], [[South Korea]], [[Brazil]], [[Thailand]] and [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Lynsey |last1=Gedye |first2=Michel Van |last2=Mellaerts |url=https://wasabi.org/articles/a-wasabi-growers-story |title=A Wasabi Growers Story – updated |website=World of Wasabi |access-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729233616/https://wasabi.org/articles/a-wasabi-growers-story/ |archive-date=29 July 2018 |url-status=live |date=2014-08-10 }}</ref> In [[North America]], wasabi is cultivated by a handful of small farmers and companies in the rain forests on the coast of [[Western Canada]], the [[Oregon Coast]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=Wasabi: Why invest in 'the hardest plant to grow'? |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29082091 |author=Kim Gittleson |date=18 September 2014 |access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> and in areas of the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] in [[North Carolina]] and [[Tennessee]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Can I Grow Wasabi in Western North Carolina? | website=NC State Extension | date=2010-03-15 | url=https://newcropsorganics.ces.ncsu.edu/2010/03/can-i-grow-wasabi-in-western-north-carolina/}}</ref> In Europe, wasabi is grown commercially in [[Iceland]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nordicwasabi.is/#sustainability|title=Sustainably |website=Nordic Wasabi |publisher=Jurt Hydroponics |access-date=22 March 2019 }}</ref> the [[Netherlands]], [[Hungary]], and the [[UK]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/plants/11638355/The-UK-farm-secretly-growing-wasabi-the-worlds-most-costly-veg.html|title=The UK farm secretly growing wasabi, the world's most costly veg|first=Lia|last=Leendertz|date=21 May 2015|website=The Daily Telegraph|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.trouw.nl/duurzaamheid-natuur/sander-stopte-als-it-consultant-om-wasabi-te-gaan-verbouwen-in-eigen-kas~b0285b43/|title=Sander stopte als IT-consultant om wasabi te gaan verbouwen in Eigen kas|first=Catrien|last=Spijkerman|date=6 July 2019|website=trouw.nl|publisher=Trouw}}</ref>

Modern cultivars of wasabi mostly derive from three traditional cultivars, 'Fujidaruma', 'Shimane No. 3' and 'Mazuma'. Sequencing of the chloroplastic genome, which is inherited maternally in wasabi, supports this conclusion.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Haga |first1=Natsuko |last2=Kobayashi |first2=Masaaki |last3=Michiki |first3=Nana |last4=Takano |first4=Tomoyuki |last5=Baba |first5=Fujio |last6=Kobayashi |first6=Keiko |last7=Ohyanagi |first7=Hajime |last8=Ohgane |first8=Jun |last9=Yano |first9=Kentaro |last10=Yamane |first10=Kyoko |title=Complete chloroplast genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of wasabi (Eutrema japonicum) and its relatives |journal=Scientific Reports |date=7 October 2019 |volume=9 |issue=1 |page=14377 |doi=10.1038/s41598-019-49667-z|pmid=31591417 |pmc=6779752 |bibcode=2019NatSR...914377H }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
* ''[[Satoyama]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal |author1=Il Shik Shin |author2=Hideki Masuda |author3=Kinae Naohide |title=Bactericidal activity of wasabi (''Wasabia japonica'') against ''Helicobacter pylori'' |journal=[[International Journal of Food Microbiology]] |volume=94 |issue=3 |pages=255–61 |date=August 2004 |pmid=15246236 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1605(03)00297-6}}
* {{citation |mode=cs1 |first1=Carol |last1=Miles |first2=Catherine |last2=Chadwick |date=1 May 2008 |title=Growing Wasabi in the Pacific Northwest |publisher=Washington State University Extension |url=http://pubs.wsu.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=15004&SeriesCode=&CategoryID=&Keyword=wasabi |id=PNW605 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* {{cite journal |last1=A. Depree |first1=J. |last2=M. Howard |first2=T. |last3=P. Savage |first3=G. |title=Flavour and pharmaceutical properties of the volatile sulphur compounds of Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) |journal=Food Research International |date=June 1998 |volume=31 |issue=5 |pages=329–337 |doi=10.1016/S0963-9969(98)00105-7}}

== External links ==
{{Wikispecies|Wasabia japonica}}
{{Commons category}}
{{cookbook}}
* {{cite conference |url=https://archive.org/details/newcrops0000nati/page/ |title=New Crop Development in New Zealand |first=James A. |last=Douglas |year=1993 |conference=Second National Symposium, New Crops: Exploration, Research, and Commercialization |conference-url=https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropInfoSources/NewCropsBook1993_info.html |editor1-first=Jules |editor1-last=Janick |editor2-first=James E. |editor2-last=Simon <!--|volume=2--> |book-title=New crops <!--|publisher=Wiley and Sons, Inc. |location=New York--> |isbn=0-471-59374-5 |oclc=468737540 <!--|pages=51-57--> |at=[https://archive.org/details/newcrops0000nati/page/ Wasabi] |institution=Purdue University, Center for New Crops & Plant Products }}
* {{cite web |date=11 February 2007 |url=http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Wasa_jap.html |title=Wasabi (Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsum.) |website=Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages }}
* {{cite web |date=29 December 2016 |url=http://www.asahi.com/special/tsukiji/en/wasabi/ |title=Wasabi: Japanese flavor—Part 1: Seeking 'Japan's No.1' |website=The Asahi Shimbun }}
* {{cite web |date=9 August 2017 |url=http://www.asahi.com/special/tsukiji/en/wasabi/kako/ |title=Wasabi: Japanese flavor—Part 2: Exceed Real Ones |website=The Asahi Shimbun }}
* {{cite web |date=1 August 2022 |url=https://gardeningnorm.com/how-to-grow-wasabi-step-by-step-guide/ |title=How to grow wasabi: step-by-step guide |website=Gardeningnorm }}

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