【Sushi restaurant teaches】Why does sushi contain wasabi? Detailed explanation of the reason, how to attach it, manners, etc.!

“Why does sushi have wasabi in it?”

“Since when has wasabi been added to sushi?”

Hello!

This is the young proprietress of the sushi kappo Kuroshio in Fukuoka “Tsuya”.

Sushi is almost always accompanied by wasabi, but why?

Also, when did sushi and wasabi start being served together?

To answer these questions, this article will show you why sushi contains wasabi.

We will also introduce in detail when wasabi began to be added and how to properly add wasabi.

By reading this article, you will know the relationship and history of sushi and wasabi, and you will be able to eat sushi even more deliciously.

Please take a look until the end.

Index

Why is wasabi in sushi?

Why does sushi contain wasabi?

There are various reasons why wasabi is included in sushi not only because it enhances the taste of the material.

In this chapter, we will introduce in detail why wasabi is in sushi.

1. Brings out the taste of the material
2. has antibacterial action
3. Become the glue of neta and shari
4. Contains a lot of healthy ingredients

Brings out the taste of the material

One of the reasons why wasabi is included in sushi is that it has the advantage of complementing the taste of the material.

Wasabi is characterized by a refreshing flavor that escapes the nose and a tangy spicy taste.

Some sushi ingredients may have a fishy smell, but adding wasabi suppresses the fishy smell and brings out the delicate flavor of the fish.

has antibacterial action

The original reason why wasabi is in sushi is because it has an antibacterial effect .

By eating raw fish and wasabi together, the effect of wasabi will not break your stomach.

Wasabi contains a component called allyl isothiocyanate, which is known to have antibacterial effects against the following bacteria.

Especially for those with a weak stomach, it is recommended to eat it with wasabi with sushi.

It has also been proven that wasabi has not only antibacterial but also anti-insect effects.

It suppresses the activity of nematode larvae that parasitize fish, so you can eat sushi with peace of mind.

Become the glue of neta and shari

The third reason why wasabi is in sushi is because it serves as an adhesive for neta and shari.

When you hold sushi without rust, the ingredients and shrimp may not stick together.

However, the fact that wasabi is between the neta and the shari will blend well and make it easier for customers to eat.

Contains a lot of healthy ingredients
One of the reasons why wasabi is included in sushi is that wasabi contains many healthy ingredients.

Eating wasabi has been demonstrated to have the following effects:

With such a health-promoting effect, there is no reason not to eat wasabi.

Many Japan people are healthier and live longer, and one of the reasons may be that they used to eat wasabi with sushi.

When was wasabi added to sushi?

In this chapter, we will introduce in detail when wasabi was added to sushi.

Wasabi is an essential ingredient in telling the history of Japan’s food culture, so it’s best to remember it.

Edo period|The four major specialties of Japan were born

The history of sushi itself has existed since the Muromachi period, but nigiri sushi and wasabi have been eaten together since the Edo period.

In the Edo period, the following dishes, called the four major specialties, were popular.

• buckwheat
• tempura
• Eel
• Nigiri Sushi

Among them, soba has the oldest history, and wasabi has come to be used as a substitute for daikon when there is no spicy food.

In addition, because it has a bactericidal effect and contains many healthy ingredients, wasabi has also come to be used in nigiri sushi.

Taisho to Showa period|Sushi spreads nationwide

From the Taisho period to the Showa period, sushi spread throughout the country.

The spread of sushi was triggered by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, when sushi chefs moved from Tokyo to rural areas.

A similar trend occurred during the Pacific War, and the Edo culture of nigiri sushi spread throughout the country.

Then, in 1947, a regulation called the “Food and Beverage Business Emergency Measures Order” was established.

This regulation also planned to restrict sushi restaurants from operating, but they bypassed the restrictions because they applied for a processing business instead of a restaurant business.

As a result, nigiri sushi with wasabi spread throughout the country, and the modern sushi genre was established.

Modern | wasabi removal becomes mainstream

Nigiri sushi and wasabi, which were born in Edo, have been passed down to the present day through the Taisho and Showa periods.

However, in modern times, nigiri sushi is beginning to undergo different changes.

In every sushi restaurant, wasabi cutting began to become mainstream.

Certainly, nowadays, sushi in supermarket packs and conveyor belt sushi do not contain wasabi, and it is common to add it yourself.

The reason why wasabi-free sushi became mainstream was “conveyor belt sushi”, which started in Osaka in 1958.

Conveyor belt sushi has made it possible for ordinary people and families to eat it, and children and women who are not good at wasabi are also eating sushi more often.

The fact that there is no wasabi in the sushi is a lonely feeling as a sushi restaurant.

However, even in modern times, wasabi is the mainstream in high-class sushi restaurants, so sushi = wasabi will continue to be inherited in the future.

What is the correct way to add wasabi to sushi?

In this chapter, we will show you how to put wasabi correctly.

By adding wasabi correctly, it will bring out the flavor of the sushi even more.

• Horseradish finely grated
• Attach it on top of the material
• Add more to fatty ingredients
• Dissolving wasabi in soy sauce is bad manners

Horseradish finely grated

It may not be easy for people to grate wasabi from scratch, but the flavor of wasabi is completely different depending on how you grate it.

Wasabi originally has no pungent ingredients, but grating destroys cells and produces pungent components.

In addition, commercially available grated machines also produce pungent ingredients, but by grating them as finely as possible, the pungency and aroma will become stronger.

Therefore, you can use a grated grater made from shark skin to grate it more finely, which will bring out the original aroma of wasabi.

Also, when grating, mix a little sugar to remove the wasabi and bring out the pungency and aroma.

Attach it on top of the material

The way to add wasabi differs depending on the case of sushi and sashimi.

In the case of sushi, you can enjoy the flavors of both the neta and the shari without wasabi falling off by attaching it between the neta and the shari.

On the other hand, if you want to add wasabi to sashimi, you can put it on top of the toppings so that the wasabi does not fall off.

If it falls on a soy sauce dish, the flavor of wasabi will be transferred to the ingredients eaten without wasabi.

By adding soy sauce to the opposite side of the wasabi side, you can eat the wasabi without dissolving in the soy sauce.

Add more to fatty ingredients

The key to eating wasabi deliciously is to change the amount depending on the material.

Add a small amount of light ingredients such as white meat, squid, and octopus because you will feel the pungency of wasabi strongly.

On the other hand, it is recommended to add more fatty ingredients such as toro and salmon because it is difficult to feel the flavor of wasabi.

At high-end sushi restaurants, it is natural to adjust the amount of wasabi depending on the material, but if you want to add wasabi yourself, adjust it to your favorite spiciness.

Dissolving wasabi in soy sauce is bad manners

In sushi restaurants, dissolving wasabi in soy sauce is bad manners.

If wasabi is dissolved in soy sauce, not only will the beauty of the soy sauce be spoiled, but the flavor of wasabi will be transferred to all the ingredients.

Some sushi and sashimi ingredients do not add wasabi or taste it with other condiments, so don’t dissolve wasabi in soy sauce.

When eating sashimi or sushi, you can add the right amount of wasabi to the type of material every time, so that you can not only look beautiful but also eat even more deliciously.

In sushi restaurants, there are various other manners and rules.

What is wasabi in the first place? Types and how to grow

What kind of food is wasabi in the first place?

Wasabi is roughly classified into two types, “sawa wasabi” and “field wasabi”, and the differences are as follows.

There is such a difference between sawa wasabi and field wasabi, and sawa wasabi is more expensive because it is difficult to cultivate and the amount that can be caught is limited.

Also, at sushi restaurants, both are called hon wasabi or raw wasabi.

Reasonable sushi restaurants often offer relatively inexpensive powdered wasabi, but high-end sushi restaurants use raw wasabi.

Tube-shaped wasabi is sold in supermarkets, but in most cases, horseradish is used instead of real wasabi.

Horseradish has a stronger pungent flavor than hon wasabi, so it is not suitable for sushi or sashimi.

When enjoying sushi or sashimi, eat with genuine wasabi instead of horseradish, so you can eat it deliciously without disturbing the original flavor of the fish.

Frequently asked questions about sushi and wasabi

This chapter introduces frequently asked questions about sushi and wasabi.

Until now Japan people have eaten wasabi as a matter of course, but you may not know much about wasabi in some cases.

• Is it true that wasabi is difficult to cultivate?
• What is powdered wasabi?
• Why do you call wasabi “namida”?
• Is there an area where mustard is put instead of wasabi?

Is it true that wasabi cultivation is difficult?

Wasabi is now generally grown on land, but it is a difficult plant to grow because it is originally grown in water.

Also, since it grows for a long time before it can be eaten, it cannot be mass-produced, which is probably the reason why it is difficult to cultivate.

Considering that wasabi farmers spend a long time lovingly cultivating each one, I want to eat it while chewing on each bite!

What is powdered wasabi?

Powdered wasabi is wasabi made by drying horseradish into powder.

Since it is powdery, it is characterized by being able to adjust the desired hardness by containing moisture, and before the development of tube-type wasabi, powdered wasabi was common.

Powdered wasabi is inspired by the tea manufacturing method, making it possible to store it for a long time even in an era when it could not be stored refrigerated.

In addition, at first, wasabi was the main raw material, but horseradish is now used because it cannot be mass-produced.

Some sushi restaurants use powdered wasabi, but it is still inferior to the flavor and aroma of freshly ground raw wasabi.

Why do you call wasabi “namida”?

Wasabi is called “namida” in the technical language of sushi restaurants, because it comes out so much that tears come out of the nose when eating wasabi.

It means as it is, but it’s a stylish and stylish technical term.

In addition to Namida, there are many other technical terms that have been used in sushi restaurants for a long time.

Is there an area where mustard is put instead of wasabi?

Sushi from the Izu and Ogasawara Islands sometimes includes mustard instead of wasabi.

Since wasabi is difficult to obtain in the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, it is said that mustard was used as a substitute.

By the way, the pungent ingredients of wasabi and mustard are the same, and they contain “allyl isothiocyanate”.

However, the difference in flavor between wasabi and mustard is that wasabi contains a refreshingly fragrant ingredient called “green note”.

Since mustard does not contain green notes, you can’t feel the rich flavor of wasabi.

Wasabi is a good companion for sushi! Let’s enjoy the flavor that escapes to the nose!

In this article, we have introduced the reasons why sushi contains wasabi.

We also introduced in detail when wasabi began to be added and how to add wasabi correctly.

The reasons why wasabi is in sushi are as follows.

1. Brings out the taste of the material
2. has antibacterial action
3. Become the glue of neta and shari
4. Contains a lot of healthy ingredients

For this reason as well, it can be seen that wasabi is indispensable for sushi.

In modern times, the culture of wasabi in sushi is gradually disappearing, but there is no doubt that these two go well together!

By adding wasabi to sushi, it enhances the sterilization effect and further enhances the taste of the material.

I hope that more people will take a look at this article and taste wasabi with sushi.

Thank you for reading to the end!