The Return of Real Wasabi
Ever since Sushi exploded in popularity in the UK nearly three decades ago, consumers have come to crave the distinctively pungent flavour of the unmistakable green paste that is Wasabi. Although classically prepared fresh and used in high-end cuisines, not just as an accompaniment to Sushi, we are now seeing the emergence of innovative food trends featuring real Wasabi as the ‘hero’ ingredient which is being utilised in a wide range of products, including Peas, Nuts, Crisps, Dips, Sauces, Chocolate and even beverages such as a pure Wasabi Spirit.
Wasabi has been grown and eaten in Japan for centuries and it has long been believed, and now been backed up by science, that the daily consumption of real Wasabi, known as Wasabia japonica, contains compounds that improves health and fights off a large number of illnesses. In Japan Wasabi is also commonly regarded as being effective in preventing food poisoning and has also been found to have success in preventing tooth decay as well as having anticoagulative properties. The realisation that Wasabi has a number of health benefits, both in the short and long term, has expanded the market for Wasabi and Wasabi-based products into the foreseeable future.
Shockingly much of the Wasabi on sale today only contains a mere 1-5% of real Wasabi (if we’re lucky!). Steve Pearce, Biochemist and CEO here at Omega Ingredients says “Historically, some Wasabi products for sale in the marketplace were adulterated and may not have contained any Wasabi at all, comprising of a mixture of mustard, horseradish, green food colouring, artificial flavourings and additives, misleading consumers and, in the case of the allergen mustard, causing potential harm to unknowing individuals”.
Wasabi is still considered an expensive and rare delicacy around the world. Capturing and maintaining the flavour, heat, and biomedical activity of Wasabi after it has been freshly picked is crucial and using a unique process, here at Omega we are able to offer 100% real Wasabia japonica.
“We only work with trusted and approved partners to guarantee that we offer consistently the highest quality products to our customers”
“With food fraud unfortunately so prevalent in the marketplace, we are proud to offer a fantastic tasting 100% pure and natural product, and one that is ethically and sustainably sourced” says our Technical Manager Martyn Warner.
Omega’s natural verification testing protocol ensures the highest quality Wasabi kiiNote® is produced and delivered to our customers and resulting sales have increased 10-fold.
Steve continues “each Wasabia japonica rhizome is hand-picked by trusted cooperative farmers in New Zealand and Malaysia and our unique process captures the distinct flavour properties and active components into a convenient user-friendly form. Our Wasabi kiiNote® is pure freeze-dried Wasabi japonica root and is ground into a powder, no additives, no diluents, no carriers, quite simply 100% Wasabi”.
If it’s so good for us, why is genuine Wasabi so hard to find?
The Wasabia japonica plant is notoriously hard to cultivate. Its natural habitat is found in mountain streams, where there is a continuous supply of fresh spring water, at a temperature that remains between 8-20°C and the perfect level of humidity.
The few who seek out the real plant would argue that the cost is absolutely worth it. Unlike the mouth-burning sensation that accompanies synthetic Wasabi paste, real Wasabi is a nuanced experience. This is because its pungency comes from a chemical reaction that occurs only when the cell walls are broken down by grating the Wasabi stem.
Wasabi’s popularity is showing no signs of abating — but what is shifting is consumers’ awareness of the provenance of their food, which is fundamental to everything we do here at Omega. A product that’s both delicious and based on natural ingredients has a real edge in today’s market.
Omega’s Wasabi is fully traceable and comes in the form of a powder, extracted from clean, green Wasabi root. This powder forms part of Omega’s kiiNotes® collection, a range of 100% pure and natural provenance driven ingredients for innovative flavour creation. The entire kiiNotes® range is all from a sustainable source, fully traceable and guaranteed by Omega Ingredients’ reputation so you know you are getting best quality, naturally derived ingredients available on the market. With our commitment to cutting-edge biochemistry and all-natural materials, the age of imitation Wasabi may finally be coming to an end!
