Do we really know what we’re eating anymore? Is it pork and beef in the hot dogs you’re grilling this summer or something belonging to a primate? What about your morning cup of coffee that you need in order to deal with your family or boss? Your precious caffeine beans are probably not the real McCoy either. In a new YouTube video, Sarah Everts of the American Chemical Society explains to us how the wasabi you dab on your rainbow rolls isn’t technically wasabi at all.
The sinus-clearing condiment that you’ve probably tasted is actually a mix of European horseradish, hot mustard, and green dye to give the wasabi its famous neon color. Real wasabi and horseradish are very similar when it comes to their taste and chemical makeup, but the honest-to-goodness wasabi is extremely rare and very expensive to grow. Everts explains that true wasabi is a bit of a diva. It needs to be “lovingly enveloped in a steady stream of water reminiscent of rocky Japanese beds where the plant grows endemically.” Real wasabi is very hard to come by, even in its native Japan. If a restaurant claims they serve the authentic stuff Everts says you should tell your server to start grating the wasabi after your order is placed or if you’re allowed to grate your own, because wasabi’s natural kick loses its potency after only 15 minutes.
(via First We Feast)
