Wasabi

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have been trying to research Wasabi known as :

Wasabia Japonica

Eutrema Japonica

 

I read an article in the local paper that said wasabi will stop tooth decay

in it's tracks. There was a study done by Material Research & Developement

Lab at Ogawa & Co. in Chiba, Japan.

 

The article also stated that it was good as-for:

Anticancer

Antimicrobial

Anticlotting

Food Poisoning

 

I have read that most Wasabi is just horseradish so if you go out to get

some make sure of what your purchasing. Does anyone think this would be

good to add to the Super Tonic???? I would say so. I wonder what it would

do in the Herbal Snuff Formula?

 

God Bless,

Jamie

 

This is all I found on the internet:

 

USES OF WASABI

 

Wasabi is a condiment traditionally used to garnish raw fish (sushi and

sashimi) and noodle (soba) dishes in Japan. The ground root-like rhizome

pugently flavors many foods in Japanese cuisine and its bright green color

adds color contrast, for which Japanese dishes are famous. ln the last

twenty years, because of low supply of fresh wasabi rhizomes, substitutes

made of mixtures of horseradish, mustard and food coloring have taken the

place of freshly prepared wasabi. Other parts of the wasabi plant are also

used. The leaves and petioles are picked or can be powdered for use as

wasabi flavoring, used now in many foods. Its chemicals have been found to

have biocidal activity, and its peroxidases have been used in enzyme assays.

 

ln traditional Japanese cuisine wasabi is prepared by grating the fresh

rhizome against a rough surface in much the same way that horseradish

(Armoracia rusticana) is prepared. Preparation is complete when a mound of

the green condiment is placed on a dish with sliced raw fish or on a small

dish to accompany a bowl of noodles. The diner then mixes the prepared

wasabi with soysauce and uses this as a dipping sauce for the raw fish or

mixes the wasabi directly into the bowl of noodles. Tofu topped with

soysauce and prepared wasabi is an example of another traditional food using

wasabi. Wasabi leaves pickled in sake brine or soysauce are popular

accompaniments to white rice.

 

In modern Japan, wasabi ice cream, wine, cheese, salad dressings, and

crackers are considered specialty foods, though the popularity of these

foods nationally is limited.

 

Hydration of a glucoside (sinigrin) by the enzyme myrosinase results in the

production of wasabi's flavor component, an allyl isothiocyanate, the major

pungent component. The components which give wasabi its flavor are

6-methylthiohexyl isothiocyanate, 7-methylthioheptyl isothiocyanate and

8-methylthioocytl isothiocyanate (lna et al., 1989).

 

Wasabi has other uses in addition to foods. The medicinal value of chemicals

extracted from Wasabi were first documented in the Japanese medicinal

encyclopedia during the 10th century (Hodges, 1974). Biocidally active

chemicals in wasabi are said to act as an antidote to food poisoning, one

factor which might have led to the use of wasabi with raw fish dishes in

Japan. In the last twenty years many reports have appeared detailing the

components of wasabi, including flavor (Kameoka et al. 1982; Ohtsuru et al.,

1979, 1982), volatile compounds (Ina et al., 1981 ), biocidal effects on

fungal growth (Goi et al., 1985), bactetial growth (Inouye et aI., 1983),

seedling growth (Iwanami et al., 1983), pollen growth (Iwanami et al.,

1981), butterflies (Kawai et al., 1969) and newts (lwanami et al., 1982),

and on peroxidases.

 

Wasabi peroxidases have been used in numerous enzyme immunoassay tests

(Fujimoto, 1983; Hashimoto et al., 1987; Hosoda et al., 1985, 1987; Iwagawa

et al., 1986 Ito et al., 1986; Kairada, 1986; Kametani et al., 1969; Lue et

al., 1984; Matsuo et al., 1983; Oishi et al., 1986; Sakurada et al., 1987;

Tamura et al., 1987).

 

 

 

 

 

About Wasabi

 

Wasabi (Wasabia japonica Matsum) is a member of the Cruciferae family. It

grows naturally under mountain pine trees in cool mountain river valleys

along streambeds in Japan. It has it's own special sweet and spicy taste,

and has a nice aroma. It is seen as one of the best spices by the Japanese.

It is usually used as spice with sashimi and tempura. Due to its special

taste and its uses, wasabi is one of the highest quality plants.

 

The green powder you eat with sushi in Japanese restaurant is not real

wasabi. It has only a small percentage of real. The real wasabi tastes

nothing like it. The real one is better and it's the best spice ever.

 

Every single part of a wasabi is useful. Wasabi leaves can be used to cook

miso soup. You can stir-fry its petioles. The stems and roots can be eaten

directly or processed into other products. Wasabi has the following

benefits:

 

Improved appetite

Contains strengthened vitamin B1

Help your body maintain vitamin C

Has resistance to several types of viruses and parasites in fish

 

*****