I have exhausted my ability to fulfill my quest. I seek the great Wasabi mustard plant. This is a japanese crazy mustard that I guess they dehydrate and then you make a paste from it. I absolutely love the stuff and I cannot find out whether it is a root ala horseradish or a true mustard or where I can buy what it takes to grow it myself. Or even if I can grow it....

I humbly request your help.....please? Thanks!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), January 10, 2001

Answers

I did an advanced google search and found 394 hits. Surely there is a source there somewhere. Sorry, but I'm not willing to wade through it all to find a souce, especially since I did find that it is considered hard to grow, as per this quote, "Wasabi can grow in the ground, but commonly it's cultivated in water. It's said that it's very difficult to grow wasabi. For wasabi cultivation, clean water is essential, and the temperature must be mild (heat must be avoided). When the wasabi plant grows to nearly 20 inches tall, with green leaves on the head, the rhizome grows above the root and the plant is ready for harvesting."

To do an advanced googel search, got to google at http://www.google.com by the search window click onto "advanced search." When the new window comes up, put "wasabi" into the "exact phrase" area, "mustard" in "all of the words" area, and "plant" into "with any of the words" area. Then search.

Good luck.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), January 10, 2001.

Doreen, I think it's a type of horseradish. I love it too. I know one thing; if you take about a teaspoon of it straight, you WILL find god.

JOJ

-- jumpoffjoe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), January 10, 2001.

Well, Doreen, I guess I do have something in common with you. Wasabi is great! I buy both the powder and the paste at a nearby (30 minutes) international grocery store for cheap. Any odds you have one nearby so you wouldn't have to pay grocery store import prices?

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), January 10, 2001.

Doreen~Here is what i know about it. It is a Japanese horseradish. It looks a bit like the Brussel sprout plant and takes two years to grow to harvest. This is exactly why i do not grow it. It is shade loving and can be grown in a pot with organic soil. Almost all Pastes and powders are not real Wasabi. They are a combination of horseradish, mustard, cornstarch and food coloring. Real Wasabi can be found in international stores or through mail order. It comes in 3 grades. Grade 1 is Wasabi, Grade 2 a little Wasabi is in it, Grade 3 no real Wasabi in the product. Grade 1 is hard to find. I guess it is a matter of which product you like. Real Wasabi doesn't taste like the pastes and powders. You can order plants on the internet. We first tried it at a Japanese restraunt. We loved the Wasabi and were told to mix it with soy sauce. Yumm!! I think we were told it means tears and boy does it live up to it's name. Hope this helped!

-- Shau Marie Miller (WI) (shau@centurytel.net), January 11, 2001.

Thanks sooo much everyone. I did a search for "wasabi seed" and got nada, then for "wasabi root" nada, then "wasabi horseradish" and I got some sellers of the powder...I did the wasabi too and got a million but it was mostly in food articles. Thanks again. I am willing to take the two years to grow it. Just like asparagus....good things take time!

There isn't a store nearby that carries it. I'd have to go over 50 miles one way. A friend of mine said they would find some and send it to me, but you really don't want to impose on folks like that.

Anne, glad we found something!!! I'm sure there are other things, too.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), January 11, 2001.

Wasabi is grown also in Taiwan, and is a specialty of the Ali Shan are. I know this because Ali Shan is also where some of the best oolong tea in Taiwan is grown, and I am a tea importer. I will e-mail my friends there and see what they can tell me. I may be going to Taiwan in April and maybe I can find you some.

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), January 11, 2001.

Thanks Snoozy...that would be great! I found a website for it thanks to narrowing it down. The stuff is pricey...$35 per plant!! Here's the link though in case anyone is interested

www.ecoseeds.com/wasabi.html

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), January 11, 2001.

In my natural medicine course we were taught never to eat sushi without wasabi,as the wasabi kills any parasites in the raw fish that you ingest.You all sound like a health bunch to me!!!I hope you were'nt eating brekkie when I posted.

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), January 11, 2001.

Doreen, I forgot to say that http://www.freshwasabi.com has plants 6 for $23.00. I live in a very small cabin and i never took the time to do it. My herbs take all of my room. I agree good things take time! Good luck!

-- Shau Marie (WI) (shau@centurytel.net), January 11, 2001.

Is this the same stuff that they make that really wonderful, spicy, hot pickle out of??? I have only had in Chicago and it was absolutely wonderful. It is shredded, and has an orange color.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 11, 2001.

Are you thinking of the very thinly-sliced pieces of pickled ginger (sort of pink to salmon colored to me)? These are laid on top of the sushi before you dip into the wasabi/soy. I love that stuff too.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), January 11, 2001.

Shau Marie, THANK YOU!!!!

Diane, it's a green condiment that is usually served in very small amounts. It'll knock your socks off!

JOJ......I have already taken TWO full teaspoons of it in the same night, one at a time. uh oh. >:)-

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), January 11, 2001.

Annie, no, I know what you are talking about and that is quite wonderful also. This was a radish of some sort, but now I am thinking maybe a diakon sp? radish that was pickled.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 11, 2001.

No problem! Hey let me know how it works out. SM

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 11, 2001.

Yeah, daikon radish is good. We can actually buy that fresh here locally. Even out here in rural WV there is a large enough ethnic population to support the International Grocery Store about 30 minutes away. I go there when I need a fix---time to try some new recipes I guess. This talk makes me hungry!

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), January 11, 2001.

Diane, you're not talking about kimchi are ya? Its very hot, Korean pickle. Can be cabbage or any number of other veggies, and comes in lots of different regional recipes.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 11, 2001.

Earthmama: I really wish I knew what I was talking about. Been looking for the stuff for 17 years!!! I know it was some sort or radish and maybe some cabbage, very hot spicy-make your eyes and nose run, but soooo good. I thought it was a Japanese resturant in Chicago that I first had it.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 11, 2001.

Well, just in case it was kimchi (which is really delicious) here's a recipe: (from Nourishing Traditions....can buy it here bookstore

1 head cabbage, shredded

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 cup grated carrots

1/2 daikon radish (optional)

1-2 TBSP grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

2 tsp seasalt

2 TBSP whey (if not available, use additional 2 tsp salt)

1/2 filtered water

Place veggies, ginger and chilis in a bowl and mash down with wooding pounder to release juices.Stuff into 2 qt-sized wide mouth jars and press down with pounder. The top of the veggies should be one inch below, top of jar. Mix water with whey and salt and pour over veggies. Add additional water if needed to bring to top of cabbage. Cover tightly. Keep in a warm place for 2 to 3 days before transferring to frig.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 12, 2001.

Don't believe the bunk about about Wasabi killing any "bugs" the fish may have. A similiar old wives tale is dipping your fish in vinegar to "cook" any parasites. It don't work. I've been hooked on sushi for years. A long way from an Il farm boy raised on beef and potatoes. I love Wasabi for the blast it initially gives. Like jabbing an ice pick into your sinus cavity and then its gone. Not like spicy Mex food that keeps on burning. Being an amateur sushi jedi, one game I like to play is Wasabi roulette. Put a small taste under 5 nigiri pieces of tuna. Place a large wad under 1 more and serve them up. Great fun for all but the loser. :-) When I was stationed in Hawaii I found a tasty treat to wash down with my favorite malt beverage. Wasabi peanuts. UMM Good!!!! Now if I can only find a recipe for a catfish roll.....

-- roscoe rotten (rkphipps@simflex.com), January 12, 2001.

Earthmama: Thank you very much for the recipe. I don't know if that is what I had but I am sure going to try it.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 12, 2001.