3 Ways To Tell If Your Wasabi Is Fake

If you've ever had sushi at a restaurant, you've had wasabi. You may have even grabbed a tube or squeeze bottle from the store too. However, while many people may think they know what wasabi is, they really only know a version of it. Traditional wasabi is made fresh from the Japanese wasabi plant root or rhizome, ground or grated into a paste — but, the truth is, there are a lot of fakes out there. If anyone knows anything about distinguishing between real wasabi and the fake stuff, it's Kazuo Yoshida, the co-executive chef and leader of the sushi program at Umi Atlanta.

Located in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood, Umi draws the type of crowd Yoshida couldn't fool with something fake — not that he ever would. But real wasabi isn't like the spicy mayo you get at many American sushi bars, or any of the other sushi dipping sauces, for that matter. The traditional Japanese paste has a pure, clean flavor that complements the simplicity and precision that all skilled sushi chefs seek to master in their cuisine. But the real thing tastes and looks noticeably less extreme than what you might know.

There are some tell-tale signs of real and fake wasabi. In an interview with Tasting Table, Yoshida broke them down into three, each revolving around the condiment's taste, smell, and texture. So, whether you're dining out or ordering in, you can know if what you're dipping your sushi into is the real thing.

If you find wasabi unbearably strong and synthetic tasting, you likely haven't tasted real wasabi. "Fake wasabi has an extreme, sharp spice that hits your nose," Yoshida explains. "You can also taste artificial flavoring and a chemical aftertaste." Fresh wasabi, on the other hand, has other attributes aside from tasting spicy that make it interesting and enjoyable. "Fresh wasabi is pleasantly refreshing on the nose," he continues, "it also tastes sweeter and has more umami."

Much like a hot sauce or any other spicy condiment, the tell-tale sign of fresh, quality wasabi is a dimension of flavors. Rather than simply wiping through your sinuses as it does in Tess Le Moings' ginger wasabi guacamole recipe, real, fresh wasabi naturally preserves the condiment's other interesting flavors to create a more pleasant overall tasting experience. This is the most telling way to know if your wasabi is fake. However, you don't always get to taste wasabi before you buy it. In those cases, you'll have to rely on your other senses.

If you're not able to taste your wasabi before you buy it, it doesn't hurt to smell it. As mentioned before, one of the tell tale signs of a fake wasabi is an extremely sharp aroma — the kind that stings through your nose and burns your eyes. It might not be proper — but you'll know it when you smell it, and it's all thanks to these little known things called isothiocyanates that are found inside. The chemicals essentially trigger your transient receptor potential receptors (the same channels that respond to external stimuli like light, temperature, and, as in the case of wasabi, irritating chemicals) and send electricity to your brain. It feels exactly like it sounds, and smells.

On the other hand, fresh wasabi smells a lot like it tastes in the sense that, unlike the fake stuff, it's mildly enjoyable. As Yoshida told Tasting Table, "Fresh wasabi is pleasantly refreshing on the nose." It really doesn't take a sensitive palette or special nose to notice the difference between the two, especially when you're relying on aroma alone. But, while sniffing your food might not be considered proper sushi etiquette, you should think twice before mixing your wasabi and soy sauce regardless of whether it's real or fake. 

Should you not get the opportunity to taste or smell your wasabi — or if you have and you still aren't sure if its legit — your third way of telling if your wasabi is legit is in the texture.

When your tastebuds and nose fail you, take to your sense of sight to determine your wasabi's texture. Real wasabi is similar to freshly grated ginger or fresh turmeric in that its made by grinding the ground stem or rhizome of the actual Japanese wasabi plant, creating the light green colored paste you eat along with your sushi. And, according to testimony from Yoshida, the texture is similar too. "Fake wasabi paste has a very smooth texture," he says, "while real wasabi is a bit coarser." 

Because fresh wasabi is made from 100% grated wasabi plant rhizome and fake wasabi only contains 1-2%, it makes sense that you can expect the real thing to be less smooth. That's because the other 99% of fake wasabi is usually made up of pureed English horseradish that's been dyed green with the addition of green food coloring, making it a much cheaper product with a smooth texture unusual to freshly ground wasabi. Knowing that, you're likely to come across much more of it than the real stuff. Keep your eyes, nose, and fingers peeled.