- ~95–99% of "wasabi" in the U.S. is imitation (horseradish-based)
- Real wasabi comes from Wasabia japonica
- Authentic wasabi contains 1 ingredient only
- Imitation wasabi typically includes horseradish, mustard, starch, and coloring
- Real wasabi heat is short-lived and complex, not lingering and harsh
| Feature | Real Wasabi | Fake Wasabi |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Wasabia japonica | Horseradish/mustard |
| Ingredients | 1 | many |
| Color | Soft green | Bright green |
| Texture | Fibrous/gritty | Smooth/Like Play-doh |
| Heat | Quick, fades fast, not overwhelming | Harsh, lingers in your nose |
| Flavor | Complex, sweet, floral, earthy | Sharp, one note |
More info on ingredients, taste, and how to tell the difference here: https://hmbwasabi.com/blogs/wasabi-knowledge/real-wasabi-vs-fake-wasabi-ingredients-key-differences-and-taste
by jimmurphysf
29 Comments
This has generally been common knowledge but it’s a nice visual that you posted
A sushi restaurant here has real wasabi but its $15. Tried it and it was good but idk if it was $15 good. Maybe I am just used to fake wasabi or I need to make more money
Your average sushi restaurant in Japan uses the fake stuff as well
Yeah this is pretty widely known, especially on this sub.
People always tell me this like im gonna spit the wasabi out on the table but I like horse radish and I had real wasabi too.
The math doesn’t add up…. 5 samples from 4 items?
While most wasabi is not actual wasabi, the reason companies use horseradish is because it is very similar to regular wasabi that no one really needs to spend the money for it.
For instance, the brand Hapi just recently started using real wasabi in their ingredients instead of horseradish. I’m sure some people will make the case that it tastes better now but there is such a sutble difference, it’s not worth the change in my opinion.
it seems kind of silly to try and change peoples minds on it at this point. I personally don’t think it’s that huge of a deal that companies use horseradish.
are most powdered wasabi’s also horse radish based? many of my japanese friends here in Canada buy powdered wasabi and not tubes.
Thankfully, I never use wasabi, so I get to miss this one. Pickled ginger on the other hand… my jam!
My biggest gripe with wasabi culture is restaurants passing off kizami wasabi as ‘real wasabi’ and charging for it.
Nama wasabi (real, fresh) is like $130/lb where I am.
Kizami wasabi is a processed food product that’s made from wasabi greens and sold in a 1oz pouch for $5.
Restaurants that misrepresent are assholes and also spreading bad info and taste experiences to consumers.
Yes, most people know this.
Thanks for the info chatgpt
I think it was a British company that has had some success trying to grow real wasabi on a farm. Trying to bring the cost down. I like the green tube stuff though.
Yea real wasabi is very expensive and generally not worth it to your average customer
I’ve had real wasabi maybe 10 times over the past couple years. It’s becoming more popular in the states, and I’ve seen many none-omakase restaurants have a $5-$15 surcharge for it.
I think it’s great and the coolest part is that you can noticeably taste it losing strength over the course of the meal. It’s cool, starting out stronger than fake wasabi and then becoming much more mellow and complex even just 5 minutes later. After 20 minutes it has like 1/5th the flavor and spice as it did when it was fresh.
I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, fake wasabi does amazing in something like nigiri, especially when it’s not omakase. Fake wasabi really does taste very similar to something like 3-minute old fresh ground wasabi. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get the real stuff, but if it’s on the menu and not too much, it’s definitely worth a try.
What’s that thing on the far right?
Cool
Now I can make my own notsabi at home
Nothings real these days 😪
I prefer the real shit but love both anyways so 🤷🏻♀️
Now I want to hear your pronunciation.
I did buy the real stuff at a local Japanese market but goddamn it was $50 for a small portion. Honestly I was used to the flavor of the fake wasabi.
Oh wow that’s a great info
Yeah no shit
I REFUSED to try anything with horseradish as a kid. I liked wasabi, though. I learned about imitation wasabi when I was a teenager and was so mind blown. I was missing out before
Yea?
Shocker
You can find real wasabi in stores (at least here on West Coast). I like the fake stuff just fine. Both are good.
I just dug out my wasabi plant today after winter. After removing the leaves, roots and stems I was left with about… 35g of wasabi
..about 60 bucks for 100-120 grams fresh from the Netherlands. not the real deal, but at least a true wasabi plant. then there are tubes with 40% content – which is pretty OK, when u r on a budget..