Single Jar
Case Of 9
Use wasabi powder on fish, mostly tuna. You can add it to mashed potatoes, eggs, or salad dressings. It’s a good option for adding heat without using chiles or red pepper flakes, and it goes well with creamy things (mixed into mayonnaise, added to a dip) that tone it down. Add water to make wasabi paste.
The chemical in wasabi that provides for its initial pungency is the volatile compound allyl isothiocyanate, which is produced by hydrolysis of natural thioglucosides (conjugates of the sugar glucose, and sulfur-containing organic compounds); the hydrolysis reaction is catalyzed by myrosinase and occurs when the enzyme is released on cell rupture caused by maceration – e.g., grating – of the plant. The same compound is responsible for the pungency of horseradish and mustard. Allyl isothiocyanate can also be released when the wasabi plants have been damaged, because it is being used as a defense mechanism.
