Fresh Wasabi Rhizome
The stem or the rhizome is the most valuable part of the wasabi plant. These dutch grown wasabi rhizomes toke 18-24 months to grow full-size. They are harvested to order to ensure their freshness. Sizes vary between 30 and 100 grams. We recommend 50 grams wasabi for 4 persons with your sushi.
Processing
The wasabi paste is created by grating the wasabi rhizome. This paste gives a sharp kick with a sweet aftertaste. This taste arises because the cells are grated and react with the air.
A standard kitchen grater is not suitable for grating wasabi. Use a good wasabi grater to get a nice wasabi paste with the right taste.
After grating, the wasabi can be used fresh for about 15 minutes. Of course you can also use the wasabi in a recipe. The pungency remains best recognizable in greasy recipes. However, wasabi gives it its own "wasabi" flavor in addition to a sharp taste.
Storing
If the wasabi rhizome is delivered vacuum sealed, open the package upon arrival by e.g. cutting in the top part of the packaging. The key is to prevent the rhizome to dry out too much while providing enough fresh our preventing the head to deteriorate too fast.
As a result, the wasabi can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Sometimes the outside gets a little brown or the head a bit dry or soft. Cut the head off or scrape a thin layer of the rhizome. The inside will be untouched.
