Hello! It is the blog: How Unique Japan! We always share features in Japan!
So, what comes today?
Fortunately, Japanese cuisine has gained worldwide recognition and popularity in recent years. Specifically, Sushi is a good explanation of how popular Japanese food is.
Sushi is a dish made of small portions of rice, seasoned with vinegar, and usually topped with raw fish.
We suppose that you, our lovely readers, may have eaten before.
Then, did you experience the spicy taste inside the cuisine while you were chewing?
Yes. It is the topic for today. The Japanese unique spice: Wasabi. The spice is a perennial plant and lives in the deep mountainside.
Why do the Japanese usually eat that with the spice that can attack your nose?
Why does the Sushi have Wasabi spice?
Wasabi is a condiment created to enhance the flavor and improve the palatability of raw fish, from the Edo era (1603 – 1868 AD). It has two advantages: deodorizing and bactericidal effects.
A potent ingredient known as AITC in the spice effectively combats the growth of Escherichia coli and Salmonella, both harmful bacteria often found in raw foods.
So, the spice is a suitable complement for that famous Japanese cuisine.
During the Edo era, the ancient Japanese developed a fondness for the unique flavor. That is spicy, and it can open the nasal airway.
When did this particular spice first appear in history?
The history
As the other countries treated spices as a medicine, Wasabi is no exception. The first appearance in history is the Asuka era (592 – 710 AD). At that time, the Japanese treated it as a natural medicine, as a spice.
The turning point for the spice is indeed the Edo era. The first shogunate (the top of Japan), Ieyasu Tokugawa, was heavily interested in the spice.
He especially loved Wasabi from Shizuoka prefecture.
A legend/rumor told how much he liked it. He officially ordered the Wasabi workers from Shizuoka to keep their cultivation method a top secret.
Indeed. Ieyasu really loved the spice. Since then, the spice has been popular among the citizens.
Those stories lead us to the next question.
Where, and how do they grow up?
The place they live
Despite the spice having a shocking flavor, though. The spice lives in a sensitive and delicate zone.
The environment they can live in is around a valley where clean, pure water (spring water) flows endlessly.
Additionally, the proper temperature range is between 9 and 16 degrees Celsius, and they inhabit soil containing rocks and stones of varying sizes.
Indeed. The spice lives in the deep mountains, which feature a beautiful natural environment. It is why the cultivation of them was difficult (in old times).
Interestingly, the market for the spice in the present time sometimes puts a high price on it if the quality is good. The best quality and bland Wasabi spice can cost $46 or $47 for just 250 grams.
One more add. The improvement of Wasabi happened in the Edo era. Now, we can cultivate Wasabi in the field because the prefecture of Shizuoka invented the new method. (Is it the top secret Yeyasu ordered?)
Such delicate plants. Why do they need clean spring water?
The reason for pure spring water
Do you remember that the perennial plant has antibacterial properties due to its pungent ingredients?
The properties also serve as protectors of their soil by preventing the growth of other plants.
Ridiculously, generating components can harm the plant itself. It is where spring water plays a crucial role.
Indeed. The spice needs a SHOWER to wash the components away.
That is why they live around the valley and in the soil with stones. (For water flowing.)
One more fact
Interestingly, such a unique spice is often in the noodle menu that originated in Japan. It is a Soba noodle.
Indeed, many Japanese people are very enthusiastic about that spice.
If you haven’t tried it yet, challenge that with Sushi cuisine. But do not put it too much on.
The spicy taste is no joke. Some Japanese comedians sometimes eat a lot of Wasabi as a penalty game.
It is the brief of the unique spice. Thanks for reading this article.
However, our blog is not over yet.
How Unique Japan also has more articles categorized into four. They are about the Japanese lifestyle, food (cuisine), the Edo era, and religion in Japan.
Do you want to take a look? Please click and challenge.
OK then, see you for the next feature of Japan!