Fresh Wasabi Rhizomes are now available!

Wasabia Japonica

Wasabi Crop is located in the orchard County of Armagh on the Island of Ireland. The specific climate of Northern Ireland enables the right conditions to grow fresh wasabi varieties. Wasabi Crop is committed to growing and supplying Mazuma, Daruma and Green Thumb wasabi rhizomes including leaves and stems to all our customers. 

Wasabi (Wasabia japonica or Eutrema japonica) known as the 'King of Herbs' adds a distinct flavour, an unusual pale green colour to foods and is particularly prevalent in Japanese cuisine. Interestingly wasabi - although hot in flavour - is refreshing in the aftertaste. Wasabi has a distinctive heat component which quickly dissipates in the mouth leaving an extremely pleasant and mild sweet vegetable taste with no burning sensation or unpleasant aftertaste.

Wasabi adds an aesthetic and culinary appeal to various food stuffs and is popular in Japan. Today, real fresh wasabi is finding widespread use in Western cuisine especially with its ability to convert an ordinary dish to an extra special one with a unique flavour and compelling taste. Thus, wasabi is becoming the new culinary flavour in world cuisine including wasabi flowers.

Buy Real Wasabi

In the western world, wasabi is known as Japanese horseradish and is grated to form a pale green paste which is used to complement sashimi and sushi.  Wasabi powder can be purchased from various supermarkets and has to be mixed with water to form wasabi paste. The majority of wasabi pastes and powders available in the United Kingdom are not real wasabi at all.  

Due to the scarcity, most wasabi powder and paste products contain minuscule amounts of wasabi (< 0.3%). The majority of wasabi sold is a combination of green dye, horseradish and mustard. The reason for this is due to the labour and cost of cultivating real wasabi in Japan.

Wasabi Flowers

Wasabi flowers are a great addition to soups and salads and could be included as an addition to herbal tea. Each stem usually has several open white flowers and buds. The beautiful white star-shaped wasabi flowers brighten up any dish and also bring a mild yet distinctive flavour to complement any dish!

Fresh Wasabi Rhizomes

At Wasabi Crop we harvest the rhizomes to order, so they are always at their maximum freshness for you to grate and enjoy. The rhizome - the subterranean swollen stem of the plant - are grown in pea shingle mineral gravel beds enriched with nutrients from the added agricultural soil. The oka - wasabi rhizomes can take up to 2 years to reach maturity.

Prices will start from £25 per 100 grams of fresh wasabi rhizome(s). The rhizome will be dispatched trimmed. Most wasabi rhizomes are approximately 50 grams in weight up to 100 grams and the weight will not affect taste. If you are looking to order more than 500 grams of fresh wasabi rhizome please get in touch.

On receipt of your rhizome just grate it on a sharkskin grater or use a fine grater to give you the delicious wasabi paste. During the grating process the rhizome cell walls break down to release the wasabi kick to generate a fresh, pungent, zingy hot flavour. Remember, you can combine your freshly grated wasabi paste with sushi and sashimi. This does not stop here, just added it to ice cream, chocolate or any of your favourite recipes involving cooking wasabi.

Wasabi Leaves and Stems 

Wasabi leaves and stems are traditionally used in Japanese cuisine for pickled sake lees. The crunchy leaves and stems are delicious and highly in demand. The heat of wasabi is more prominent in stems than leaves but overall the heat is always greater in the rhizome!

Contained within the leaves and stems are the compounds that give the wasabi kick from its glucosinolates and allyl isothiocyanates (AITCs) with its associated health and nutritious benefits. When cooking the wasabi leaves and stems the heat will lessen and create a similar taste to spinach.

In some recipes they are best used raw to spice up the salads and sandwiches or alternatively place them on your favourite steak, chicken or venison. For the simpler approach use them in stir fries or with noodles and stews. Remember wasabi stems and leaves can be pickled or fermented and added to your favourite beverage. These succulent leaves and stems are harvested on the day of order and shipped in specially designed packaging to keep them at their maximum freshness.

Buy a 200 g packet of wasabi leaves and stems for £8.00. Each package of wasabi leaves and stems will contain about 20 large heart-shaped leaves for you to enjoy!

Health Benefits of Wasabi

Wasabi can make a significant contribution to a healthy diet as it contains fibre, protein and energy. Also, wasabi consists of a variety of minerals which include calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and zinc. All of these natural elements contribute to an overall balanced diet and healthy well-being.  In addition, wasabi is very rich in vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, folate, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin A. There are extra benefits from wasabi both from high levels of antioxidants and low levels of cholesterol. 

While the main reason for consuming wasabi is for its unique taste it is worth noting that its active components are the isothiocyanates (ITCs) which certainly appear to have some positive health benefits.

Studies have shown that wasabi is an effective antibacterial agent, preventing the spread of E-coli and other forms of bacteria. Also, in preventing the growth of mould and parasites.  Products are being developed to utilise this property by converting the wasabi plant into antibacterial sheets. Furthermore, research indicates that wasabi may help to alleviate clotting conditions such as cerebral and myocardial infarctions.

Investigations are shown that one form of isothiocyanate in wasabi, 6-MITC, has demonstrated to inhibit leukaemia and stomach cancer cells. Scientists discover how wasabi kills cancer cells

Wasabi - Ordering the Right Amount

So, you order the right amount of wasabi rhizome 50 g will provide enough for six people for example with sushi.

Rhizome Weight (Portion): 60 g (8+), 70 g (9+), 80 g (10+), 90 g (12+), 100 g (14+), 110 g (16+), 120 g (18+), 130 g (20+), 140 g (22+), 150 g (24+).

There are several ways to use freshly grated wasabi - just visit the recipes pages at wasabi crop. Also, the rhizomes can be stored for up to three weeks, remember to wrap them up individually using a damp cloth in which they will be dispatched in.

Please store them in an open container which is not made of plastic. The rhizomes need good air circulation and they should be rinsed in cold fresh water every 3 days or so to enable an extension of their shelf life.

Wasabi Crop Schedules

We welcome all customers who are interested in buying fresh wasabi rhizomes, leaves and stems - all grown in Northern Ireland - from us and who would like to receive crop schedule updates. Please send your details via the contact form.

Enjoy your fresh wasabi - providing new foods for your table!