Food In Japan - Part Three: Spicing

(or An Ode to Wasabi)

I love sashimi. The soft, fleshy lure of fish accompanied by the sweet bite of wasabi. But wasabi’s not just used for fish things like sushi or sashimi.

As a baker, I usually favor the sweet spices (such as cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg) but I have to say that wasabi may be one of my favorite spices. There are so many types of wasabi—and none of them taste like the green paste that accompanies grocery store sushi. Wasabi, real wasabi, is a form of horseradish, and boy, oh boy, will it knock your nose sensors off kilter if you manage to eat it the wrong way.

There’s a wrong way for wasabi, you ask, barely managing to make the tongue-twister. Yes, I reply, there is. Depending on what part of the mouth tastes it first, you can have a mild tingle of "mmmmmm, that hits the spot" or an explosion of "WHOAMAGAWD, evacuate the nostrils!" I still haven't figured out yet which parts equal on the scale, so it's always an experiment when I eat. :)

Which is why I add it to my soy sauce...the salty flavor somewhat balances it out. And look at that pearly shine on the fish! Mmmm-mmm-mmm!

 Japan really enjoys its wasabi, and has managed to make it available in all sorts of forms. I have found it in everything from mustard to mayonnaise. It's not always a welcomed surprise at first, but it's always makes whatever I'm eating taste better.

Another spicing flavor that comes to mind when I think of Japan is freshly grated ginger. Just the hint of the scent in the kitchen can send my mouth watering.

(also, I'm updating the blog's format so it's more picture-oriented. Pay no mind to the woman behind the curtain!)