Eating sashimi must be accompanied by wasabi, an invention by the Japanese who love "raw food." In fact, wasabi is as common in Japanese households as soy sauce and vinegar are in Chinese homes. Besides pairing with sashimi, it has many other uses. Besides soy sauce, nutrition experts also suggest adding a few drops of lemon juice when preparing wasabi; its sweet and sour taste can help alleviate the spiciness of the wasabi.
Eating sashimi must be accompanied by wasabi, an invention by the Japanese who love "raw food." In recent years, Japanese cuisine has become very popular in China, but many people are not very clear about the role of wasabi. In fact, wasabi is as common in Japanese households as soy sauce and vinegar are in Chinese homes. Besides pairing with sashimi, it has many other uses. Green and yellow wasabi each have their own uses.
The wasabi eaten by the Chinese is mostly green. In Japan, in addition to this common green wasabi, there is also a yellow wasabi, and the two have different functions. Generally, green wasabi has a spicier taste and is used for eating sashimi; yellow wasabi has a milder taste, so its uses are more extensive, a little can be added to boiled dishes and stewed dishes. Even when eating fried noodles and meat buns, some people spread yellow wasabi on them.
The raw material for green wasabi is a mountain-growing plant called horseradish. Its root and stem can be used to make wasabi powder. The raw material for yellow wasabi is the spicy mustard plant, whose leaves are specifically used to make wasabi powder and wasabi paste. It has a strong bactericidal effect.
The Japanese value freshness in wasabi; the fresher the wasabi, the higher the price. In high-end Japanese restaurants, when you order sashimi, the waiter will place a small piece of the wasabi stem next to your sashimi and then take it to the kitchen to grind it into wasabi powder, made to order right before eating. This is called "fresh wasabi." However, most Japanese households still use tube-shaped wasabi paste.
Just as some people in China cannot do without garlic in their diet, wasabi is also indispensable in the lives of the Japanese. This is partly due to eating habits, and partly because of its bactericidal effect. Nutrition experts point out that the reason wasabi is paired with sashimi is because the bactericidal components in wasabi can kill bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and inhibit the growth of mold and other harmful bacteria in food. In addition, according to data from the Japanese Food Research Institute, wasabi can also inhibit the activity of substances that cause cancer and the activity of oxidizing enzymes in the liver. Currently, some antibacterial drugs have added wasabi as an ingredient. Wasabi soy sauce is very popular.
In terms of flavor, wasabi and soy sauce are the "perfect partners." In Japan, there are special shops selling "wasabi soy sauce." It is not only convenient to use but also used more often: mixed with lettuce salads, used as a hot pot condiment, mixed with tofu... In short, as long as seasoning is needed, it can be added.
Besides soy sauce, nutrition experts also suggest adding a few drops of lemon juice when preparing wasabi; its sweet and sour taste can help alleviate the spiciness of the wasabi. However, they remind that pregnant women and people with stomach or eye problems should still eat less wasabi.