Wasabi in restaurants

[torakris]

Does anyone know if sushi shops ever use real wasabi in their nigiri sushi?

I have never been to any really high end shops but I never never eaten sushi made with anything other than the wasabi paste. I know some palces will serve it with their sashimi...

There are also some noodle shops (and not necessarily high end) I have been to that serve fresh wasabi, often with the grater so that you can grate it yourself.

[torakris]

S&B has just put out a new wasabi product

Yuzu-wasabi (wasabi in a tube with the skin of yuzu-a citrus fruit)

Though I don't think it would be good with all sushi, it could be nice with some. It is better used on noodles, salads, etc.

I love this stuff it's great!

[PierreGinza]

Does anyone know if sushi shops ever use real wasabi in their nigiri sushi?

I have never been to any really high end shops but I never never eaten sushi made with anything other than the wasabi paste. I know some palces will serve it with their sashimi...

There are also some noodle shops (and not necessarily high end) I have been to that serve fresh wasabi, often with the grater so that you can grate it yourself.

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Fresh wasabi has a sweet, vegetal, wholly superior flavor which comes out after sitting for 10-15 minutes. I grate my rhizomes 10-20 minutes before I know I will serve it. Only a little bit is needed, and after being allowed to "open" this way fresh wasabi is equal parts hot and sweet--not sugary sweet, vegetable sweet.

As far as freezing it, wrap individual rhizomes in paper, then roll up inside a zipper plastic bag, squeezing out as much air as possible before you close the zip. Wasabi can last at least a year in this manner. Grate it while still frozen--a sharkskin will not work for this application. A ceramic grater such as the ones made by Kyocera is the better option. Put the grated frozen wasabi on napkin or paper towel to blot away condensation which gathers as it thaws. It's ready to use as soon as your fingertips can no longer feel anything icy. On eating, you will discover that freezing wasabi does destroy some of the aroma, but the taste is largely intact.

I do use real wasabi in nigiri, but not as the "glue" to help adhere topping to the ball of shari (the rice clump). Fresh wasabi is not very useful for that purpose. The tiny amounts in my nigiri is to be a flavor component only.

I don't like powdered wasabi at all. In the end, there is very little similarity between fresh and powdered wasabi, in aroma and taste. No one who has tasted real, freshly grated wasabi--especially hydroponically or semi-hydroponically grown wasabi--would ever say that it tasted anything like European horseradish.