Wasabi

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Video: Wasabi

Video: Wasabi
Video: Big Baby Tape - Wasabi | Official Audio 2024, March
Wasabi
Wasabi
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Wasabi (lat. Eutrema japonicum) Is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the Cabbage family. Its second name is Japanese eutrem, or "Japanese horseradish".

Description

Wasabi is a herbaceous rhizome perennial crop endowed with leafy simple stems that can be either slightly raised or creeping. At the same time, the height of the stems is capable of reaching forty-five centimeters.

Heart-shaped or rounded wasabi leaves are equipped with crenate edges and rather long petioles. For the apical leaves, division into lobes is characteristic, and the leaves located in the lower parts of the stems are larger in size.

Miniature white wasabi flowers are endowed with pretty cute bracts and fold into luxurious apical brushes. And the ovoid petals are equipped with slightly elongated nails. As a rule, wasabi pleases with its flowering in April or May.

As for the fruit, they are pods filled with eight seeds.

Where grows

Wasabi grows mainly along mountain river banks. At the moment, it is widely cultivated not only in Japan, but also in New Zealand, Korea, China, as well as in the United States and Taiwan.

Application

In cooking, wasabi is used as a seasoning - its strong antimicrobial properties make it possible to combine this product even with raw fish. Wasabi goes especially well with rolls or sushi. By the way, rubbed roots were first used back in 1396 in a district called Shizuoka. Nowadays, a rare Japanese dish does without this valuable spice. Wasabi is often used in combination with soy sauce.

It is noteworthy that in Japanese cuisine, not only wasabi roots are widely used, but also its flowers with stems - they are used to prepare a dish called tempura.

Shredded dried wasabi roots are characterized by a fairly strong odor. And the pungency of this seasoning mainly stimulates not the tongue, but the nasal passages (in contrast to hot peppers). Wasabi tastes more like mustard. By the way, the real root wasabi (or hon-wasabi) can be found exclusively in Japan these days. And since this is a rather expensive product, its imitation is most often found on sale, prepared on the basis of horseradish, food colors and various spices.

The isothiocyanates contained in wasabi prevent the gradual decay of teeth, as they are endowed with the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria that provoke tooth decay. Moreover, these substances help to fight cancer. In addition, wasabi is renowned for its anti-asthmatic effect and its ability to prevent the formation of life-threatening blood clots. As for the calorie content of wasabi, it can please anyone and is only 10 kcal.

Growing

People began to grow wasabi back in the distant X century. In this case, two main agricultural techniques are used: either growing in a vegetable garden, or growing in a semi-submerged form in mountain cold water. The second option, of course, is the most preferable - such roots have a brighter and more pleasant taste. And the ideal temperature for growing wasabi is considered to be between ten and seventeen degrees.

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