The Flavor Of Real Wasabi

More Wasabi Uses & Storage Tips

Add a tablespoon to your favorite mashed potato recipe

Splash a few drops on fresh, washed salad greens

Drizzle over fresh steamed vegetables like asparagus

Add to a simple vinaigrette

How To Store Fresh Wasabi

The Traditional Wasabi Grater

Wasabi is quite strong when it is first grated but the heat diminishes as the wasabi is exposed to air. Dried, powdered wasabi is also available but just like its fresh counterpart it is hard to find and quite expensive.If you are fortunate enough to buy fresh wasabi you'll want to store it properly. Rinse rhizomes under fresh clear water and wrap in damp paper towels. Store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator and replace with fresh damp paper toweling every couple of days. Rhizomes can be stored for at least 2 weeks.

The traditional wasbi grater has a wooden form faced with real sharkskin. To use, fresh wasabi rhizomes are grated along the sharkskin face to form a smooth paste. These graters have become very hard to find and are fairly expensive.

Alternately you can purchase inexpensive aluminum versions as well as more expensive copper wasabi graters. These graters can also be used for grating the fibrous ginger root.