JJapanese Food

Is this real wasabi?


I honestly cannot tell the difference. It is incredibly spicy. It actually hurts me with the tiniest bit. I have a very low tolerance

25 comments

  1. No, real wasabi is less gummy and less neon green.

    To really confirm it let the “wasabi” sit for half an hour and if it’s still spicy after that time has elapsed it’s definitely not the real thing.

    Also; don’t let having a low tolerance for spicy dissuade you from from trying real wasabi when you have a chance, it is significantly milder and much much more delicious.

  3. That looks like wasabi made from powder, which is mostly horseradish. Depending on the powder there may be a small amount of wasabi or none.

  7. Lol! No. It’s still good (especially if you have clogged sinuses), but FAR from real. The real thing has a different texture and more….volatile smell/effect when preparing. Also, *way* shorter shelf life.

  9. Real wasabi has a sweetness to it. Though it is still pretty nasal spicy it isnt as harsh as mustard or hotseradish.

  11. I purchased [“real” wasabi](https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Japanese-Shizuoka-Wasabi-Tamaruya/dp/B008D3079K/ref=sr_1_1_pp?crid=2KILW089N4B7C&keywords=real%2Bwasabi&qid=1701144227&sprefix=real%2Bwasabi%2Caps%2C396&sr=8-1&th=1) very recently, and so far it tastes more or less like fake wasabi at least when mixed in soy sauce, but noticeably less spicy. The stuff that comes out of the tube looks more like green translucent clumps that might be somewhere between relish and fake wasabi in appearance. I have not tried real wasabi at a restaurant before. I wonder if that might be far better quality and worth the cost. I also have not tried it by itself without soy sauce. I’d imagine it would be doable, whereas fake wasabi would be too spicy.

  13. Real wasabi looks like grated ginger but way milder, and tastier than American neon horseradish aka “wasabi”. I’d describe it as a flavor of light ginger and daikon, with a slight sweetness. Cuz it’s expensive, the restaurant will definitely let you know if it’s real on the menu or by the waiter. I’ve seen a tiny root of wasabi for double digit dollars, tbh I can’t recall how much but enough to make me clutch my pearls at the supermarket.

  19. It’s sad
    Nothing like the real thing
    That stuff is an abomination
    I try to get the real stuff but if I can’t I grate some fresh horseradish and hold the fake grass

  20. Almost certainly not. Real wasabi isn’t lime green, doesn’t have a playdough like texture, and isn’t super spicy. It’s slightly sweet, kind of a duller light green and has a texture n kind of lumps to it.

    Also as someone else stated, a place thats grating or has tubed real wasabi probably isn’t using plastic grass. Real wasabi root sells for like 50 bucks for something the size of a small carrot in the USA.

    [here’s a good picture](https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/food-you-asked/does-wasabi-have-any-health-benefit) of ground “roots”. Anything greener than the greenest in this picture is highly sus. Even that is super green for ground wasabi.

  21. Dried wasabi powder and you you mix water with it to make a paste. Coloring added. That is what this is. Very common and inexpensive. It’s not fake it just isn’t fresh wasabi. Having wasabi is not a requirement for sushi. People expect it in the USA but really good sushi places serve each kind of sushi creation already seasoned and each is different.

  22. The only way I know to get real Wasabi in the US is to go to a sushi place where you pay $180 per person for a chef meal. Even in Japan, the real stuff is hard to find but boy is it good. Split a whole tablespoon this week with my husband and a friend it was so amazing. Top 5 best sushi experience, US or Japan.

  23. Whenever I have real Wasabi they have grated it in front of me, if they aren’t grating it, it’s not real (and it won’t look like playdough).

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