Wasabi is an increasingly popular food both in Japan and around the world. Its spicy taste shoots right through your nose when you eat it. Wasabi is great as a dip, sauce or snack. Here are ten ways to eat wasabi starting with the traditional Japanese ways:

1. Sushi and Sashimi (traditional Japanese food)
In Japan a small bit of wasabi is sometimes placed inside the sushi when it is prepared. When this is the case there is no wasabi on the side.

When there is wasabi on the side of your sushi or sashimi it should be mixed with soy sauce in the small sauce dish provided.


2. Soba (traditional Japanese food)
Cold Japanese soba noodles are served with a light soy based sauce and wasabi. The wasabi should be mixed with the sauce and the noodles dipped into the sauce before eating. Remember, that in Japan it is okay to make loud slurping noises when you eat noodles.

Many restaurants give the customers a small wasabi root and grater with the noodles and the customers grate the wasabi themselves. This makes the wasabi fresher and also satisfies the Japanese love of cooking for themselves at restaurants.


3. Wasabi zuke (traditional Japanese food)
Wasabi zuke is a Japanese wasabi pickle made from the leaves of the wasabi plant (usual wasabi is a root) and white lees. Wasabi zuke was devised as a way to eat up white lees which are a by-product of the Sake (rice wine) making process. Wasabi zuke is eaten with soy sauce.


4. Wasabi peanuts (modern Japanese food)
Wasabi peanuts are a common snack food in Japan. They are peanuts coated in a crunchy, sweet wasabi shell. They are very hot and are often mixed with Japanese crackers and snack mixes to make them less intense.


5. Wasabi peas (modern Japanese food)
Similar to wasabi peanuts but peas. The peas are roasted and crunchy. Like the peanuts they are often found in snack mixes. Such snack mixes are considered drinking food and go well with beer.


6. Other wasabi snacks (Japanese, Western and Asian varieties)Wasabi has become a popular flavor for snack foods in Japan, Asia and Western countries alike. For example, there are Japanese, Asian and Western brands of wasabi potato chips. Wasabi almonds, crackers and ice cream are also common.


7. Wasabi Salad Dressing (Western)
Wasabi Salad Dressing salad dressing makes any salad taste great. It is easy to make at home and can be bought off the shelve (but is hard to find). Wasabi ginger, Wasabi cream and sesame wasabi dressing are common variations.


8. Wasabi Mayo (Japanese modern)
Wasabi mayo is easy to make from wasabi powder, water and mayonnaise. It makes a great topping for sandwiches, especially fish and chicken sandwiches.


9. Wasabi BBQ sauce (Western)
Wasabi BBQ sauce is good for grilling seafood and chicken. Variations include mango wasabi, ginger wasabi and honey wasabi BBQ sauce. There are some off the shelf varieties but they are hard to find. These sauces are easy to make at home and are increasingly popular at restaurants.


10. Wasabi Ramune (Japanese modern)
Ramune is a an old fashioned Japanese soft drink that has a special bottle with a marble shaped piece of glass in the neck. Ramune are popular at festivals and special events in Japan. Ramune has a wasabi flavored variation. It is not that bad.


For more info check out our:

wasabi guide
20 insanely cute bento boxes
Japanese food guide
sushi guide

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