Nutritional value of wasabi does more than add heat to your sushi

You have just purchased your fresh wasabi rhizomes from the Wasabi Crop Shop, and you cannot wait to use them in your cooking. First, however, you want to know something about the rhizome. So, let’s look at the nutritional value of wasabi contained in wasabi rhizome, sometimes called wasabi root.

A typical wasabi root contains water (78.7%), protein (4.7%), fat (0.2%), carbohydrates (13.9%), fibre (1.3%), and vitamin C (50 mg/100 g).

Adding freshly grated wasabi to your diet will keep you healthy, and research has shown that it may help prevent some types of cancer. Wasabi has nutritional value and anti-oxidative properties, which may reduce your cholesterol level in the blood. In addition, Wasabi helps to promote the regrowth of brain cells and, therefore, may be effective against certain forms of dementia. Furthermore, Wasabi is a powerful antibacterial and has been shown to stop the increase of Helicobacter pylori and prevent food poisoning.

Wasabi rhizomes are spicy

Wasabi contains sinigrin within its cellular tissue. When you grate the rhizome, the enzyme reacts with the cells to bring out the zingy, spicy taste of Wasabi. The top of a root, known as the crown, has more pungency than the middle part. The taste can vary widely owing to the way a wasabi root is grated.

How do you store wasabi?

Take the rhizome and wrap it in a damp cloth you can use cheesecloth or simply a tea towel) and place the wrapped rhizome onto an opened glass bowl.  Then, place the bowel into the fridge for up to 28 days. 

Grating wasabi

Take the rhizome, press the end against the stainless steel grater, or if you are lucky, use a sharkskin grater. Both will work fine to give you freshly grated Wasabi. Only grate the required amount, but if you want to grate the whole rhizome, you can make small wasabi paste parcels and store them in the freezer.

Why are you eating fake wasabi?

When you shop in supermarkets, you will come across Wasabi being sold in plastic tubes containing no wasabi or a minuscule amount to write WASABI on the packaging.  This so-called Wasabi is just a mixture of horseradish, mustard and artificial green dye.

However, buying a plastic tube of Wasabi will not provide you with the health benefits of freshly grated Wasabi and will not, if at all, have the wasabi kick. What makes the flavour of Wasabi is the isothiocyanates released during the grating of the rhizome.

Remember, real Wasabi has antibacterial effects that’s why you have it with sushi.

Sofia Kitson

I’m Sofia Kitson, the Wasabi Crop Blogger. My interests are writing articles on growing and cooking with wasabi.