id: 498

name: Mahi

flavor_bible_name_variants: hamachi,mahi mahi,wasabi

flavor_bible_pairings_ids: avocado,cabbage,cilantro,coriander,dill,fruits,gin,juniper berries,lemon juice,lemon zest,orange juice,orange zest,pepper white,salt sea,sugar

status: draft

source: foodb,flavor_bible

food_db_name: Wasabi

flavor_db_name_variants: wasabi

name_scientific: Wasabia japonica

description: Wasabi (ワサビ or わさび（山葵）, earlier 和佐比; Eutrema japonicum or Wasabia japonica) is a plant of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. It is also called Japanese horseradish, although horseradish is a different plant (which is generally used as a substitute for wasabi, due to the scarcity of the wasabi plant). Its stem is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong pungency more akin to hot mustard than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapours that stimulate the nasal passages more than the tongue. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. The two main cultivars in the marketplace are E. japonicum 'Daruma' and 'Mazuma', but there are many others. The origin of wasabi cuisine has been clarified from the oldest historical records; it takes its rise in Nara prefecture, and more recently has seen a surge in popularity from the early 1990s to mid 2000s. The plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. The two main cultivars in the marketplace are W. japonica 'Daruma' and 'Mazuma', but there are many others. The chemical in wasabi that provides for its initial pungency is the volatile allyl isothiocyanate, which is produced by hydrolysis of natural thioglucosides (conjugates of the sugar glucose, and sulfur-containing organic compounds); the hydrolysis reaction is catalyzed by myrosinase and occurs when the enzyme is released on cell rupture caused by maceration – e.g., grating – of the plant. The same compound is responsible for the pungency of horseradish and mustard. Allyl isothiocyanate can also be released when the wasabi plants have been damaged, because it is being used as a defense mechanism. Research has shown that such isothiocyanates inhibit microbe growth, perhaps with implications for preserving food against spoilage and suppressing oral bacterial growth. [Wikipedia]

itis_id: 506210

wikipedia_id: Wasabi

picture_file_name: 509.jpg

picture_content_type: image/jpeg

picture_file_size: 51475

picture_updated_at: 2012-04-20T09:39:13.000Z

legacy_id: 536

food_group: Herbs and Spices

food_subgroup: Spices

food_type: Type 1

created_at: 2011-02-09T00:37:45.000Z

updated_at: 2019-05-14T18:05:26.000Z

creator_id: null

updater_id: null

export_to_afcdb: false

category: specific

ncbi_taxonomy_id: 75806

export_to_foodb: true

public_id: FOOD00498