Wasabi

THE HARDEST PLANT TO GROW

Wasabi

Solveig Clarkson

TABLE OF CONTENTS 05

What is Wasabi?

07

Where is Wasabi Grown?

08

Wasabi?? (comic)

10

Tasmanian-Grown Wasabi

13

Real Wasabi?

14

Wasabi-growing Limitations

16

Wasabi-growing Countries (map)

19

Farming Wasabi

21

Technology - Has it Impacted?

23

Conclusion

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References

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What is Wasabi ?

Most of us have never tasted real wasabi.

Why? Because the wasabi paste you see in supermarkets and sushi cafes today is fake! It is made of horseradish, sugar, salt, and a small amount of green food colouring.

Real wasabi is not made of horseradish. Far from it.

Wasabi is a plant, which is extremely hard to grow.

So hard, in fact, that few countries around the world have a climate sustainable enough to cultivate it.

So why have we never tasted the real thing? And, why is the fake green horseradish paste allowed to be passed as wasabi when most pastes don't even have 1% real wasabi in them?

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Where is Wasabi Grown?

Northern Japan Parts of China Taiwan Australia Korea New Zealand While many different countries grow wasabi, the main producer is Japan, due to its natural stream beds in the mountain rivers. Wasabi also needs a stable climate all year round to grow, and other than farming it in an artificially sustained climate, as many countries tend to do, Japan is the only country that wasabi can grow naturally.

As wasabi becomes more popular in the Western countries, due to the increasing amount of Asian food consumed, countries are opting to grow their own real wasabi.

But the wasabi that we eat and have ever eaten is not always the real thing.

Real Wasabi is extremely hard to grow, and because of this, only a select few restaurants and food companies actually sell the real deal, and only some countries can grow this amazing crop. Growing wasabi is a laborious and expensive task, and therefore the market is very limited outside Japan.

Only small-scale production of this crop exists outside the country it is found to grow naturally.

In Australia, wasabi is mainly produced to a small-scale in Tasmania. This is possible due to the sustainable climate, and the right soil and weather conditions. However, only a small amount can be grown as the demand for real wasabi is low. Most people are quite contented to keep consuming coloured horseradish.

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Tasmanian-Grown Wasabi Wasabi current and potential growing areas in Australia Wasabi can only be grown in sustainable climates. Japan is the only country in which Wasabi grows naturally. Surprisingly, wasabi farmers in Japan grow their crops in the mountain springs rather than artificial cultivation houses. Sharing around the same latitude with Japan and Taiwan, Tasmania in Australia also is a growing area for wasabi. Tasmania has some of the cleanest air in the world, and is able, like Japan, grow its wasabi all year round.

Wasabi thrives in a cool climate. As a crop, it can tolerate air temperatures ranging from mild frosts to 25°C, but no more, no less. It is sensitive to heat, which means it must be grown in cool, shaded conditions Shima Wasabi is a company created by four Tasmaanian wasabi growers.

Their aim is to utilise the whole plant with leaves, leaf stalks and flower also used. Zero waste is imperative.

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'Shima' is the Japanese word for 'island' so translated into English, Shima Wasabi becomes Island Wasabi. They grow their crop in sophisticated, climate controlled green houses, which ensures the wasabi plant, which is similar to a mould, gets the low levels of light that it likes.

wasabi products to their growing customer base including restaurants, fine food providores, market agents and wholesalers."

Shima Wasabi sell direct to restaurants and catering companies in Australia. It is mainly used for seafood and Asian cooking.

Chefs say just as good as what as in Japan – "excellent quality and flavour."

The Tasmanian cold climate is a huge advantage when it comes to wasabi growing. The four founders of Shima Wasabi had been growing wasabi individually for several years and "saw the need to form Shima Wasabi to be able to offer a complete range of premium quality Australian-grown

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Real Wasabi?

One main reason why real wasabi is not found just anywhere, apart form the fact that it's difficult to grow and expensive, is once you start grinding the stem, the flavour that gives you that 'kick' starts to disappear. After five minutes the flavours peak, but wait 20 minutes, and there is almost no spice left.

Unless you are served wasabi with a grinder at a restaurant, or you are buying off genuine wasabi farmers, there will be a chance the 'wasabi' you are getting is not the genuine stuff.

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Wasabi-growing Limitations Wasabi’s cultivation is limited as it is heavily reliant on specific growing requirements. In parts of Japan, the wasabi plant grows wildly beside mountain streams and valleys. It requires a cool, humid and shady condition in order to flourish. Even though wasabi can be grown in greenhouses and artificial systems, it still cannot often be grown in mass amounts, due to the fact that it can easily succumb to infectious diseases. The rhizome (stem) can take anywhere from 1-3 years to reach maturity, making it harder for some places to cultivate, because it requires a sustainable climate the entire growing process.

To cultivate this difficult to grow crop, wasabi farmers need a lot of experience, practice and patience.

This plant is one that cannot be harvested by machine. All must be done by hand; the planting, the growing, the cultivating and the harvesting. This creates a lot of jobs as hand pickers, growers and cultivators, sellers and supervisors.

People are needed all the time to think of new ideas and initiatives to grow this crop easier and faster.

This map shows how Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and other wasabi-growing regions share around the same Annual average temperature which is from 5-15 degrees centigrade.

Wasabi needs a cool climate to grow, and it is proven by this temperature graph that the places that grow wasabi or have the potential to, all share the same climate.

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This total Annual rainfall graph states that the wasabi-growing areas need around 7002500ml of rainfall per year. As wasabi needs a lot of water, most of the time, artificial stream beds are created to ensure maximum quality.

While many countries such as Taiwan, parts of China, the USA, and Australia grow wasabi, Japan is the main producer due to its stable climate, and natural land available for the cultivation of this crop. Here is a map of places wasabi is grown in Japan.

The main growers of wasabi tend to be based near the rockier, more mountain based parts of japan.

Wasabi needs rocky soil, running water and stream beds to be able to grow all year round.

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Map showing major was

sabi cultivation countries

Farming Wasabi To cultivate this difficult to grow crop, wasabi farmers need a lot of experience, practice and patience. This plant is one that cannot be harvested by machine. All must be done by hand; the planting, the growing, the cultivating and the harvesting. This creates a lot of jobs as hand pickers, growers and cultivators, sellers and supervisors. People are needed all the time to think of new ideas and initiatives to grow this crop easier and faster.

For thousands of years, people have been using the same methods and ways to harvest wasabi.

It cannot possibly be grow using any modern machinery. The crop is too delicate.

Wasabi also is friendly to land destruction. There is no know significant damage to air, water land, soil, forests, mountains, etc. if pesticides and chemicals haven’t been used to grow wasabi.

Environmental Sustainability

Impacted Yields

Wasabi is one of the most sustainable crops that can be grown. The water footprint/usage is low because the running stream beds that the crop need to survive can be recycled and circulated around the riverbeds artificially. 1 kilogram of wasabi can use just 387 Litres of water per year; compared to other crops such as wheat and rice, which need much more water.

The temperature must be between 10-20 degrees Celsius all year round, and there must not be a drought. Wasabi takes 15-18 months to grow and if a crop fails, there is not income for another year, until the next crop matures. Crop yields cannot be too high because wasabi is a high risk plant for diseases. Everything must be perfect, right down to the last leaf for wasabi to be able to grow and flourish.

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Technology - Has it Impacted?

At this stage, the whole process of growing wasabi must be done by hand. Every part of it. The planting of the seedlings, the growing, and the harvesting. Some parts of it can be controlled by machinery. The temperature of the greenhouses must stay stable, and machinery would help with that. Also, the amount of water flowing through the streams would have to be controlled to make sure a drought or flood did not affect the outcome of the crop.

Harvesting the wasabi after it is grown is one of the most time consuming parts, after the planting.

Each plant must be uprooted and cleaned. After this, the roots and leaves must be cut or peeled off, leaving the ‘rhizome’ or more commonly called ‘stem’. This part is then shipped off to markets, restaurants, and sometimes straight to the consumer. Shima Wasabi, for example, based in Victoria, grows, harvests, and sells their wasabi straight to the consumer right at their own farms, without having 3rd party suppliers.

Education Anyone can grow wasabi, but not everyone can grow it right every time. Wasabi farmers need a certain level of education in knowing the right growing conditions that wasabi needs to perfect the crop every time. The best education and knowledge would be passed down from generation to generation. After a while, experience would outnumber however many degrees in Horticulture you can earn.

New Research...And Findings Wasabi is now grown in controlled climates, which means more can be cultivated due to temperature control. Data also indicates that soil grown wasabi will not take as long to mature than rockier soils.

“Soil-grown wasabi stems reach a mature weight of 50g after 12 months and then the size of the stems remain steady as the plant matures. However, water-grown wasabi grows more slowly to attain an average weight of 50g when the plant is fully mature 21-24 months.”

See on the left

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Conclusion So, do we think the fake wasabi will be going away anytime soon?

The answer is no. Fake wasabi has its place; it's cheap, easy to produce, and many people are happy with the way it is.

Real wasabi also has its place. if you ever want to get a taste of the real experiance, the sudden fire up your nose, then the sweetness, along with the earthy tones, then dine at a restaurant in Japan, where they serve you freshly grinded wasabi, or even better; you get to grind it yourself.

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References AgriFutures Australia. 2021. Increasing the Production of Australian Wasabi | AgriFutures Australia. [online] Available at: <https://agrifutures.com.au/product/increasing-the-production-of-australianwasabi/> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

AgriFutures Australia. 2021. Wasabi | AgriFutures Australia. [online] Available at: <https://agrifutures.com.au/farm-diversity/wasabi/> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Daub, J., 2021. Daio Wasabi Farm: Everything you Ever Wanted to Know About Wasabi | Japan Cheapo. [online] Japan Cheapo. Available at: <https://japancheapo.com/travel/daio-wasabi-farm-everything-everwanted-know-wasabi/> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

En.wikipedia.org. 2021. World map - Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_map#/media/File:BlankMap-World-162E.svg> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Encyclopædia Britannica, 2021. Uncover the truth of wasabi. [video] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/topic/wasabi/images-videos#/media/1/2162141/220865> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2021. wasabi | Description, Uses, & Facts. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/topic/wasabi> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Fao.org. 2021. Traditional WASABI Cultivation in Shizuoka. [online] Available at: <https://www.fao.org/3/CA3182EN/ca3182en.pdf> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

LIVE JAPAN. 2021. Fresh Wasabi: Visiting a Traditional Wasabi Farm in Tokyo | LIVE JAPAN travel guide. [online] Available at: <https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0002344/> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Make Sushi. 2021. What is Real Wasabi And Why Most Sushi Restaurants Dont Use it!. [online] Available at: <https://www.makesushi.com/real-wasabi-paste/> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Real Wasabi. 2021. Wasabi Cultivation - Mountain Grown Wasabi. [online] Available at: <https://realwasabi.com/pages/cultivation-index-asp> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Shimawasabi.com.au. 2021. Shima Wasabi. [online] Available at: <https://www.shimawasabi.com.au/about/> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Skillsone.com.au. 2021. Aussie Wasabi - SkillsOne. [online] Available at: <https://www.skillsone.com.au/vidgallery/aussie-wasabi/> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Taste of Home. 2021. There's a Good Chance You've Never Had Real Wasabi. [online] Available at: <https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/what-iswasabi/#:~:text=True%20wasabi%20is%20made%20from,isothiocyanate%20instead%20of%20pepper's %20capsaicin.> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

Web-japan.org. 2021. niponica NO.13. [online] Available at: <https://webjapan.org/niponica/niponica13/en/feature/feature07.html> [Accessed 17 October 2021].

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