The unique taste of fresh wasabi
Fresh wasabi is a unique produce that is widely used in high-end Japanese cuisine, fusion cuisine, and Nordic cuisine. It has a fruity, vegetal fragrance and a spiciness that enhances flavor. The taste of fresh wasabi does not hit with the same intensity as western wasabi does, rather it’s bouquet and sweetness stimulate the palate with a balanced heat that is experienced more in the sinuses than on the tongue.
Not the Green Stuff
It must be noted that fresh Nordic Wasabi has little in common with the green stuff that most people in Europe and the USA know as wasabi. The green stuff is, in fact, a combination of mustard, horseradish, and food coloring—dubbed by the Japanese as seiyō or western wasabi. You haven’t tasted wasabi until you’ve had it fresh.
Fresh wasabi is traditionally ground with shark skin and served with noodles and sushi—more wasabi with oily fish and less with leaner fish. In recent years, however, chefs experimenting with fusion cuisine are finding new uses for it, for example, with steak, with ice cream, and even for brewing beer. The future of fresh wasabi use in fusion cuisine is truly exciting.
In studies, fresh wasabi has been shown to be antimicrobial, which is probably why it became the traditional companion for raw fish. Some studies even suggest that it may have anticarcinogenic, antiinflammatory, and blood thinning properties.
Fresh wasabi is traditionally grown near the rocky streams of Japan, but in Iceland, Jurt Hydroponics has cracked the code for growing fresh wasabi, using internationally certified 100% renewable hydroelectric power and pure Icelandic drinking water.
Sustainability and purity are our guiding lights, which is why Jurt Hydroponics uses best practices in modern engineering and applies constant process improvements. Our greenhouses are some of the most technologically advanced in Europe and farm fresh wasabi year round.
In an increasingly polluted world, it is good to know that fresh wasabi is being grown in the pure Icelandic environment using renewable hydroelectricity and a replenishing supply of drinking water that has been naturally purified through layers of volcanic rock (according to the World Bank, Iceland holds the top spot for renewable internal water resource per capita).
Jurt agrees with the Nordic Food Manifesto—where the emphasis is on purity, freshness, and simplicity—and has labored over every step of the growing process to ensure that standards of sustainability are met.
That is why you should ask for Nordic Wasabi the next time you enjoy Japanese or fusion cuisine—that is, if you want to enjoy fresh wasabi with a good conscience.
