Wasabi appreciation thread!

[Deja Q]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi

Spicy, tasty, tangy, helps the sinuses, and sure as hell ain't no replacement for whipped cream in the bedroom! :rofl:

[BikeWriter]

1. I INEVITABLY use three times too much of it...

but I keep on doing so.

[stuntcat]

2. the right size

too much will sorta put me out :scared:
but the right amount (I have to use my finger to get it right) is great!

[Generic Brad]

3. Try it with Chinese hot mustard

Your sinuses will thank you.

[KamaAina]

4. Make sure you're getting the real thing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi#Wasabi_and_imitations

Almost all sushi bars in America, and some cheap ones in Japan, serve imitation (seiyō) wasabi (see Etymology section, below) because authentic wasabi is relatively more expensive. Although harder to find, real wasabi powder (from Wasabia japonica plant) is a convenient way to experience true wasabi's remarkable flavor, but most commercially available "wasabi" powders contain no true wasabi at all. Most utilize a powdered imitation made from horseradish, mustard seed, and green food coloring (sometimes Spirulina). Whether real or imitation the powder is mixed with an equal amount of water to make a paste.

On a positive note, there is now domestic wasabi, from Hawai'i, of course (specifically, the Big Island) and, apparently, Oregon. (Oregon? :shrug: )

http://www.honolulumagazine.com/articles.aspx?id=3882&q=&m=6&y=2006&bid=1

Until the past decade, you had to go to Japan to get the real thing: a root that grew along stream beds in the mountains, where a river's cool, flowing waters provided a unique growing environment. Once in a while, at a local sushi bar, you’d witness the unwrapping of a suspicious root that had been smuggled into town.

In the early 1990s, farmers began cultivating wasabi in Oregon, hoping to supply the growing demand for this unique condiment as sashimi and sushi grew in popularity in America. You can now find fresh wasabi in a tube, and even the fresh root can occasionally appear at Japanese markets and specialty stores around town. But on the Big Island, Lance Yamashiro grows the real thing.

Situated in cool, damp Volcano, Yamashiro's 60-acre farm has produced daikon, cabbage and flowers for three generations. "I wanted to find something that no one else was growing," says Yamashiro. "Each generation did something special on this farm; wasabi is my thing."

[TommyO]

5. Spicy tuna roll and too much wasabi

It sounds like the perfect lunch to me!

Whipped cream? Sheesh, there are other things that are better to.... uh oh, don't go there, it might get the thread locked.

[RushIsRot]

6. I had some wasabi snacks. Little white rice cakes with a dab

of green wasabi on them. I offered one to my boss who was as conservative and rethuglican as they come. His comment was, "They taste like toxic waste!"

Now, where did he get hold of that toxic waste with which he compared my little tasty snacks?

[Maineiac]

7. Wasabi Mashed potatoes

Comfort food, baby!

[Christa]

8. Except if want to look all teary eyed

at your lover while gasping for breath :blush:

I got some marvelous Wasabi Mustard :applause:

[Deja Q]

9. That's why it should never be used as a substitute for whipped cream!

Or cake mix, or pizza sauce, or cheese dip, or anything else one would be have to be weird to think about... :D

Wasabi Mustard, eh? Sounds tempting! :evilgrin: