Wasabi grows not only in Japan. For its normal growth, special conditions are necessary, for example, a temperature of ten to seventeen degrees, running water. These features are taken into account at the cost of honwasabi, which, in Japanese, means "real wasabi".
Japanese horseradish and house horseradish are grown. But at the same time it is necessary to remember, grown in the garden wasabi, will yield to taste, to his wild fellow.
Its taste qualities are distributed unevenly along the root. The upper part of the wasabi will be most acute.
The most important is the rhizome of wasabi. After a year and a half it becomes thicker. And can reach a thickness of 15 centimeters.
The cost of natural wasabi is very high. Therefore, many Japanese restaurants instead of wasabi, use powder, paste in tubes, tablets, that is, use wasabi imitation in this way. In restaurants outside of Japan, it is even more difficult to find natural wasabi. Instead, use the most common seasoning imitation.
In the preparation of seasoning spices include spices, horseradish wasabi-daikon, as well as food colorings. At its cost, wasabi-daikon is much cheaper than honvasabi. And on the taste, they are the same. Except that this plant is white. To paint it, use a green dye. For the sharpness and softness of taste, use mustard. It is added directly to tubes with paste.
The composition of wasabi and its useful properties.
If we talk about the useful properties of wasabi, then take into account not the "wasabi" sauce, which is most often prepared from wasabi-daikon, namely the honvasabi plant. In its root is a very high content of vitamin C, B6, and also calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium. There are glucoside and sinigrin in the rhizome. Very low sodium content, there is no saturation with fats, sugar and cholesterol.
In addition, Japanese horseradish contains special substances - isothionocyanates, they impart a characteristic sharp taste and smell. Due to this, wasabi (Japanese horseradish) has a healing effect, for example, with asthma. It is effective in the treatment of colds. It alleviates acute conditions with anaphylactic shock.
The role and effect of isocyanates is also highly valued. They destroy the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Prevent the development of caries. Together with other components of wasabi, perform antibacterial and antifungal function. Therefore, this seasoning is very useful with raw fish.
According to the results of the research, isothiocyanates have proved themselves in the fight against E. coli, staphylococcus, various fungi.
Thanks to anticoagulant action, wasabi is used to prevent the occurrence of blood clots. This action occurs at the expense of essential oils. They are contained in the leaves, and the root of the plant. And they prevent the process of occurrence of thrombi, formation and accumulation of platelets.
If we compare the action of wasabi and aspirin, then the action of the wasabi extract is much less effective in the action of aspirin, but it has no equal in speed of action.
Is isothiocytes of wasabi, very well prevent and treat various tumors. Based on the results of animal studies, an undeniable fact of the effectiveness of wasabi was established in the treatment of cancer tumors in the gastrointestinal tract. And also for the treatment of colon cancer and breast cancer.
Isothiocytes are able to exert a powerful antioxidant effect, due to this effect, cancer cells die, and at the same time, the risk of re-development of cancerous tumors decreases.
It helps very well to clean the nasal sinuses.
If we compare the therapeutic effects on the organism of honvasabi and wasabi-daikon, then they are very different. The latter contains a lot of potassium salts, helps to remove excess water from the body. Roots contain peculiar protein substances, they help to restrain the growth of bacteria.
How do you use wasabi in cooking?
Many know that the Japanese are considered long-livers. But not many know that one of the main reasons for longevity lies in the Japanese cuisine.
When choosing a wasabi-daikon, one should be very careful. Because instead of wasabi, you can slip a real surrogate. It is made of mustard, horseradish, cornstarch and various dyes. For the price and taste, it will be very different from the natural wasabi. Read the label carefully before buying this product.
Prepare it in small quantities. Because over time, it loses its flavor and flavor.
If you grate fresh horseradish wasab, then it is usually dominated by a thin burning taste and a refreshing radish flavor.
For the preparation of sushi, wasabi paste is almost always used, because it has an antifungal and antibacterial effect.
When preparing dressings and pickles, you can also use this sauce.
First, you need to take the necessary amount of fresh wasabi. Grate it on a grater, having preliminary cleared from a rough skin. Root wrap in polyethylene and put in the refrigerator. Term storage, not more than a month.
A long tube of fresh wasabi is not subject to long storage. It is advisable to use it for a week.
Pasta wasabi can be prepared at home. To do this, take wasabi powder and mix it with warm water. Insist ten minutes to dry the paste a little. Then there will be a peculiar, special flavor.
The seasoning is prepared from the wasabi roots. To prepare a dish called tempura, in Japanese cuisine stems with flowers are used.
Contraindications for the use of wasabi.
This seasoning is considered very acute. Therefore, it is not desirable to use it for those who have inflammatory processes in the stomach, intestines. Also, its use is not recommended for kidney disease, liver, who suffer from high acidity.
Large doses of wasabi, can even cause a high blood pressure in a healthy person.