wasabi is one of the most popular and essential spices served with sushi alongside this video introduces you what the real wasabi is and how to prepare in a proper way first of all most of the ready to use wasabi either paste ones or ground powder ones that you will commonly find in grocery stores unfortunately are not actual wasabi although they may contain a certain percentage of wasabi the main ingredient in the powders or pace you buy is typically horseradish actual wasabi has a reputation as one of the hottest crops to successfully farm it takes more than one year to grow and just the right amount of sunlight with fresh spring water within a fixed range of temperature this is all in a manual work given how hard it is to grow and how often it tails it is no big surprise that real wasabi is extremely expensive costing almost hundred bucks per pound restaurant guests are not used to paying for the condiment at all much less paying more for it than for the sushi itself so instead of actual wasabi cheaper substitute is often served although the majority of us around the world are able to benefit from its characteristic taste with ready-made products however they do not quite reach the quality levels of the genuine article the fleeting flavor and aroma of fresh wasabi can only be brought out with actual wasabi this vivid green has a stimulating flavor with punchy spice yet is mildly sweet with no burning sensation if you do have a chance to get your hands some fresh stems do not hesitate it is expensive but experiencing this specialty ingredient is sure to be rewarding besides its nutritious benefits including fiber protein and energy as well as a variety of minerals and vitamins studies have shown that wasabi is an effective antibacterial agent inhibiting the growth of fungi and bacteria known to cause food poisoning many argue that this is a reason why the spicy green condiment is traditionally served alongside sushi and sashimi as it may minimize the potential risk of a foodborne illness from consuming raw fish while it contributes to an overall balanced diet and healthy well-being when you grate the fresh variety for your dish it's strong aroma and flavor will only last for 20 to 30 minutes instead of grating in ahead of time you should always prepare the freshest product immediately before serving if you'd like to store wasabi stand in the fridge beforehand or after using some portion standing in a shallow plate of pewter or mineral water cut em down or wrap in a moist paper towel and tightly cover it in a plastic wrap this way helps it to be kept fresh for up to a few weeks unlike horseradish you should not remove the skin from the stem prior to grating as it contains a lot of flavor just be sure to thoroughly clean the skin and rinse with fresh running water the nutritious value between the root end and a tip of the stem are not so big difference but the root end is older and a texture is little harder so usually start grating from the stem tip but if you're planning to use a wasabi stem over a couple of times grating from the root end will help the stem remain fresh remove any small knobs around the main stem with a sharp knife and remove this thin layer as much as you wanna use you can keep the unused portion fresh if it's left and exposed prepare a grater a Michael plain is a great tool for this process but its narrow shape may not be the absolute best for this purpose ideally a grater specifically designed for grating wasabi that has very small teeth with wider surface a traditional tool for grating this riser is a grater made with real shark skin which helps to break it down into super fine paste like consistency to grate from the apple stem hold the wasabi vertically against the grater grate in a slow light and circular motion to gently release its intense compounds as you grate the stem and break up the cells it activates the enzymes which release the pungent element in general for fish dishes like sushi therefore just a little amount of finely grated wasabi will enhance the spice and highlight the delegate taste of fish if you're enjoying greasy meat dish with strong taste on the other hand it may be better to grate roughly to make wasabi less spicy tidy flavor so that it increased the synergy and balanced the taste soon after the grated wasabi is exposed to the air it enhances its flavor and it reaches its peak in two to three minutes but at the same time it starts fading away and it will last only about twenty minutes so it is highly recommended to grate just the amount you want to serve and use them within five to ten minutes for the most optimal flavor you