Wasabi is used mainly in Japanese cooking, although it's starting to be common in pan-Asian cuisine. Wasabi root, also called Japanese horseradish, has an extremely sharp, eye-watering flavor that floods the sinuses but dissipates quickly. Although wasabi root can be grated fresh, it's expensive and hard to work with. Most wasabi is eaten in paste form, either from prepared tubes or wasabi powder.

Most prepared wasabi and wasabi powder is actually a blend of wassabi, horseradish, mustard, and green coloring (sometimes from spriulina). This blend is much cheaper than pure wasabi, and easier to work with. It's flavor is a bit flatter than pure wasabi, but it still packs a punch! Pure wasabi powder is harder to find and always expensive, and it's flavor is gone sooner. Wasabi paste should be made right before serving, and kept covered to prevent the loss of flavor.

The Spice House carries conventional wasabi powder as well as pure Namida wasabi powder. The regular wasabi is the same variety that you usually find in grocery and specialty stores. Pure Namida wasabi is very difficult to find and is cultivated only in Japan and New Zealand.

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