| Description |
Wasabi is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Brassicaceae family, which also includes horseradish and mustards. Wasabi is grown for its stems, which are ground into a pungent paste of the same name that is used to flavor sushi and other dishes in Japanese cuisine. Fresh leaves are also edible and pungent. Wasabi has very specific growing conditions and is not widely cultivated outside of Japan, making the condiment even more of a delicacy. (Most of the "Wasabi" eaten outside of Japan is an imitation made of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring.) Wasabi plants grow slightly submerged in either wet soil or a stream. "Oka" or field Wasabi is grown in wet fields and considered a lower quality plant. "Sawa," or semi-aquatic, Wasabi is grown in the rocky river beds of cool mountain streams (at a temperature of 11-14° C) and produces superior plants. Wasabi needs consistent temperatures of 10-15.5° C. Temperatures below -2.7° C can kill the plant and temperatures above 27.7° C can cause heat damage. If starting from seed, cold-stratify for around 2 months at 5° C to break the seed's dormancy before planting.
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