Q&A for How to Make Wasabi

You can use chopsticks to eat sushi rolls, but using your hands is acceptable as well. Dip the slice of the roll in soy sauce and wasabi if desired, and enjoy.

Real wasabi starts with real wasabi root. They can be tough to find since they're local only to Japan and are grown in limited areas of Canada and northwestern United States. However, you can check your local Asian grocery stores to see if they have any. Once you have wasabi root, wash it off and trim off any odd bumps or marks with a knife. Then, use a fine grater to shave off the amount of wasabi you want to use. Gather the shaved wasabi up and form it into a ball. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before you serve it and there you have it! Fresh, delicious wasabi.

It can be tough, but yes, you can get real wasabi in the US. Real wasabi may not be readily available since they are local only to Japan and are grown in limited areas of the northwestern United States. Check your local Asian grocery stores to see if they have any. Another option is to order wasabi powder. You can use the dried powder to make real wasabi paste. Use measuring spoons to portion out equal amounts of the powder and water into a small bowl or container. Then, stir it all up until it's thoroughly combined and you'll end up with a thick wasabi paste. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to help open up its natural flavors. Keep the wasabi fresh by putting it into an airtight container and reforming it back into a ball before you use it.

It depends on whether or not you have real wasabi or prepared wasabi paste. Real wasabi is simply wasabi root that's been finely grated and formed into a ball. That's it! The more common prepared wasabi paste is made of horseradish, sorbitol, rice bran oil, sugar, modified food starch, salt, water, cellulose, and sometimes a dash of real wasabi to enhance the flavor. You're much more likely to come across the prepared wasabi paste because wasabi root is local only to Japan and parts of Canada and the northwestern US. But you might get lucky and find some at your local Asian grocery store. You can also order dried wasabi powder and mix together equal parts of the powder and water to form a wasabi paste that's pretty close to the real deal.