Anyway, for my third weekly post, I will be talking about the herb "Wasabi"!
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| A drawing of a wasabi plant, published in 1828 by Iwasaki Kanen |
DESCRIPTION
Wasabi (also known as Eutrema japonicum, Wasabia Japonica or Japanese Horseraddish) is a perennial plant which grows around to the height of an average person's knee. It is a semi-aquatic plant and produces a thickened stem in a similar fashion to a small brussel sprout.
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| The leaves and stem of the Wasabi plant. |
HISTORY
The cultivation and usage of Wasabi is said to have first began in Japan, Nara prefecture, during the tenth century.
Wasabi, written as 和佐比 then, appeared in 918 in The Japanese Names of Medical Herbs,(本草和名) written by Honzō Wamyō.
| The Japanese Names of Medical Herbs,(本草和名) written by Honzō Wamyō. |
Japanese history has it that Wasabi used to grow wild in the valleys of Mt. Heike, Mt. Mizuo, and Mt. Bahun, in the Kitani-Kyo watershed. Then, in the 8th century, a war occured between two Japanese clans; the Heike clan and the Genji clan. The Heike clan had lost the war, and the survivors fled to other parts of Japan. Some of them fled near Mount Bahun, and decided to settle there. At Mount Bahun, it is said that these survivors had gathered wild Wasabi to use as a seasoning for slices of raw yamame (a kind of trout), and raw venison. Thus, Wasabi was said to be first used during this period.
According to one Japanese legend:
"Wasabi was first discovered hundreds of years ago in a remote mountain village by a farmer who decided to grow it. He reportedly showed it to Tokugawa Ieyasu, a Japanese warlord of the era. Ieyasu, who later become Shogun, had liked it so much he declared it a treasure only to be grown in the Shizuoka area."
ETYMOLOGY
Wasabi was originally written in Kanji as 和佐比 ("wasahi") in Japan. However, nowadays, the plant’s name is usually written in Hiragana [わさび] , in Katakana [ワサビ] or in Kanji [山葵].
( [山葵] refers to the mountain Asarum, as the plant's leaves resemble those of a member of Asarum species, along with its ability to grow on shady hillsides)
The modern Japanese Kanji writing [山葵] is said to be similar to the Chinese writing.
The single kanji [山] (yama) means "mountain" and [葵] (aoi) "hollyhock".
(One thing to note is that the plant name "hollyhock" refers to "Althea rosea", an ornamental plant that is unrelated to wasabi.)
(Another interesting thing to note is that the two kanji characters "山" and "葵" do not correspond to their pronunciation: as such it is an example of gikun (meaning, not sound). Spelled in this way, the particular Kanji are used for their phonetic values only, known as ateji (sound, not meaning – opposite of gikun)
USAGE
Through history, Wasabi has always been used as a condiment. Although lately, it has also been used in skincare products.
RECIPE
Wasabi, just like in Japan, is used to improve the taste of sushi. Thus, the recipe below uses Wasabi to do exactly that; make great-tasting sushi.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quickandeasysushimak_67796
Did You Know?
- Due to the scarcity of the wasabi plant, horseradish (sometimes along with mustard and a green food colouring) is generally used as a substitute for wasabi.
Wasabi was originally written in Kanji as 和佐比 ("wasahi") in Japan. However, nowadays, the plant’s name is usually written in Hiragana [わさび] , in Katakana [ワサビ] or in Kanji [山葵].
( [山葵] refers to the mountain Asarum, as the plant's leaves resemble those of a member of Asarum species, along with its ability to grow on shady hillsides)
The modern Japanese Kanji writing [山葵] is said to be similar to the Chinese writing.
The single kanji [山] (yama) means "mountain" and [葵] (aoi) "hollyhock".
(One thing to note is that the plant name "hollyhock" refers to "Althea rosea", an ornamental plant that is unrelated to wasabi.)
(Another interesting thing to note is that the two kanji characters "山" and "葵" do not correspond to their pronunciation: as such it is an example of gikun (meaning, not sound). Spelled in this way, the particular Kanji are used for their phonetic values only, known as ateji (sound, not meaning – opposite of gikun)
USAGE
Through history, Wasabi has always been used as a condiment. Although lately, it has also been used in skincare products.
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| A Garnier face-wash foam, which is said to use Wasabi as an active ingredient. |
RECIPE
Wasabi, just like in Japan, is used to improve the taste of sushi. Thus, the recipe below uses Wasabi to do exactly that; make great-tasting sushi.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quickandeasysushimak_67796
Did You Know?
- Due to the scarcity of the wasabi plant, horseradish (sometimes along with mustard and a green food colouring) is generally used as a substitute for wasabi.
-Wasabi (the condiment) is made by grating Wasabi with a metal oroshigane, but some other chefs prefer to use a more traditional tool made of dried sharkskin with fine skin on one side and coarse skin on the other. A hand-made grater with irregular teeth are sometimes used as well.
What an insightful post. I never knew that there was such a rich history to wasabi. It's also interesting how it is not only a condiment, but also an ingredient in skincare products.
ReplyDeleteYour knowledge in Wasabi is very good and informative! I've also learned how Japanese language have different corresponding pronounciations.
ReplyDelete