Most 'wasabi' is dyed horseradish and mustard. True wasabi is a temperamental rhizome grown in cold running water, and it tastes nothing like the sinus-clearing tube version.
Grated to order
We grate fresh root on sharkskin in a slow circle, releasing a heat that is bright and green rather than harsh. It fades within minutes, which is why we apply it between the fish and the rice, never on the side.
Real wasabi is sweet, almost floral, with a heat that rises and vanishes. Once you taste it from the root, the tube never quite tastes the same again.
