Using a Stainless Steel Wasabi Grater for Aromatic Flavours

The stainless steel wasabi grater is an excellent kitchen tool for finely grating your fresh wasabi rhizome. One striking difference is that it does not have any holes in it, compared to a cheese grater. Therefore, it does not allow herbs or vegetables to be pushed through to the other side and potentially wasted. This allows a platform to generate the aromatic flavours and heat to assemble the wasabi into a small pile of wasabi paste.

To prepare the wasabi rhizome, also known as the wasabi root, you must hold the rhizome and move it against the grater in circular motions to create a sufficient amount of the wasabi paste.

This stainless steel grater can also be used for ginger, horseradish, garlic and other items. The grating surface is approximately 11.1 cm (wide) x 7.1cm (Length).

The grater functions by breaking the wasabi’s internal structure down to the cellular level.  This enables other compounds in different parts of the cells to react with each other, resulting in an enzyme reaction that initiates the wasabi paste’s flavour and pungency.

It is important to know that once you have grated a portion of the rhizome into a paste, the peak heat of the paste will take around 5 minutes to reach. After approximately 20 minutes, it will begin to reduce its potency. Then, only grate the wasabi when required. If you grate a more considerable amount, you can parcel up a small portion of the wasabi paste in cling film and store it in the freezer until further use.

Another useful accessory for removing the wasabi paste from the grater is a wasabi bamboo brush, which you can purchase from the Wasabi Crop Shop. The brush also has the advantage of being able to mix the wasabi paste. In addition, you could repeat this process with garlic, ginger, and horseradish.

The sushi expert uses a Samegawa made from sharkskin and used to grate wasabi.   The sharkskin produces a superfine paste, enabling the wasabi root’s unique and special flavour.