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Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

theatlantic.com

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Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#21

Post by tptacek »

peterwwillis wrote: post #10

Most sushi places don't prepare nigiri properly in my experience. Each piece of nigiri should have wasabi between the rice and seafood and a small amount of sauce on top, intended to be eaten fish-side-down. (SF probably has the most places that do it correctly outside NYC and LA) You're welcome to eat it however you like, but the ginger is generally speaking the palate cleanser while wasabi is historically both flav…

All the major metros in the US have high-end sushi restaurants that are making nigiri properly/authentically. In those restaurants, if there's wasabi underneath the neta, it's because the cook wants it there; if there isn't, it's because they don't.

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#22

Post by Stratoscope »

davidw wrote: post #14

Some people are growing it in Oregon: http://www.thewasabistore.com/the-farm I recall reading about a past attempt in Oregon that failed, a while back. Apparently it's not easy.

I don't know what you mean by "attempting to grow it" and comparing them with a "past attempt that failed, too."

I'm a happy customer of The Wasabi Store: their wasabi is the real deal and it is delicious.

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#23

Post by davidw »

Stratoscope wrote: post #22
davidw wrote: post #14

Some people are growing it in Oregon: http://www.thewasabistore.com/the-farm I recall reading about a past attempt in Oregon that failed, a while back. Apparently it's not easy.

I don't know what you mean by "attempting to grow it" and comparing them with a "past attempt that failed, too." I'm a happy customer of The Wasabi Store: their wasabi is the real deal and it is delicious.

I edited it to clarify. It's difficult, apparently.

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#24

Post by tru3_power »

Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #3

So is most truffle oil. Canned reindeer meat in the Nordic countries can be up to 40% pork. Budget-brand soy sauce might actually be "soy sauce powder" mixed with water, as opposed to something straightforwardly brewed. If you travel the developing world, you may find that what is sold as chocolate actually has no cacao in it. Lots and lots of disappointments out there in the food world. I find reading labels careful…

Another one is Kobe beef. Real Kobe beef is from the city of Kobe in Japan and is only served in a handful of resturaunts in the US (I think 1 in NYC and a few in LV). So next time you see Kobe beef on the menu- you know it’s most likely a lie.

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#25

Post by tptacek »

naravara wrote: post #17
Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #3

So is most truffle oil. Canned reindeer meat in the Nordic countries can be up to 40% pork. Budget-brand soy sauce might actually be "soy sauce powder" mixed with water, as opposed to something straightforwardly brewed. If you travel the developing world, you may find that what is sold as chocolate actually has no cacao in it. Lots and lots of disappointments out there in the food world. I find reading labels careful…

All because everyone wants champagne taste on a beer budget. It reminds me of a Frank Lloyd Wright quote when someone asked for a $5k house and he says “Are you sure you want a $5,000 house? Most people want a $10,000 house for $5,000.” They could just pitch these as cheaper substitutions and it wouldn’t be so annoying.

You could say the same thing about vanilla, for which Cooks Illustrated was infamously not able to triangle-test a meaningful preference between artificial and real in a baked goods panel (IIRC, the Milk Bar cookbook went a step further and specified recipes that only worked with artificial vanilla). Sometimes, the artificial ("beer-grade") version is a legit advance.

A big problem with truffle oil is that it's too easy to overdo it, which is something you're less likely to do with a $200 black truffle. It's also too easy to add truffle notes to things that aren't really improved by truffle notes. And those two problems compound each other.

It can work pretty well on french fries, though!

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#26

Post by Dowwie »

ken wrote: post #8
Dowwie wrote: post #6

the other day I noticed fresh wasabi root sold in a grocery store for roughly $40-$50

Per pound? That seems cheap. I've seen it at Uwajimaya, late on a Sunday night, for US$99.99/lb. The man stocking it told me, "Get some now, while you can! The restaurants will buy it all up and it'll be gone by morning."

Yep that's the stuff I saw. This was maybe 8 ounces.

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#27

Post by tptacek »

tru3_power wrote: post #24
Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #3

So is most truffle oil. Canned reindeer meat in the Nordic countries can be up to 40% pork. Budget-brand soy sauce might actually be "soy sauce powder" mixed with water, as opposed to something straightforwardly brewed. If you travel the developing world, you may find that what is sold as chocolate actually has no cacao in it. Lots and lots of disappointments out there in the food world. I find reading labels careful…

Another one is Kobe beef. Real Kobe beef is from the city of Kobe in Japan and is only served in a handful of resturaunts in the US (I think 1 in NYC and a few in LV). So next time you see Kobe beef on the menu- you know it’s most likely a lie.

You can get A5 wagyu all over the place in the US. The "tell" that you're looking at fake "kobe beef" is when you could take the dish and swap "kobe" for "angus" and the dish would still make sense; so, for instance, a "kobe burger" always going to be silly and shady, and nobody would ever buy "certified angus nigiri".

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#28

Post by cortesoft »

peterwwillis wrote: post #10

Most sushi places don't prepare nigiri properly in my experience. Each piece of nigiri should have wasabi between the rice and seafood and a small amount of sauce on top, intended to be eaten fish-side-down. (SF probably has the most places that do it correctly outside NYC and LA) You're welcome to eat it however you like, but the ginger is generally speaking the palate cleanser while wasabi is historically both flav…

I always like the sushi, ginger, and soy sauce/wasabi mixture all in the same bite. Maybe I am weird, but I love that combination of flavors all at once.

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#29

Post by zapzupnz »

cortesoft wrote: post #28
peterwwillis wrote: post #10

Most sushi places don't prepare nigiri properly in my experience. Each piece of nigiri should have wasabi between the rice and seafood and a small amount of sauce on top, intended to be eaten fish-side-down. (SF probably has the most places that do it correctly outside NYC and LA) You're welcome to eat it however you like, but the ginger is generally speaking the palate cleanser while wasabi is historically both flav…

I always like the sushi, ginger, and soy sauce/wasabi mixture all in the same bite. Maybe I am weird, but I love that combination of flavors all at once.

I can see the appeal, but I think that would overpowered and confuse the mixture of flavours.

Re: Most Wasabi Is Fake [video]

#30

Post by psyclobe »

cortesoft wrote: post #28
peterwwillis wrote: post #10

Most sushi places don't prepare nigiri properly in my experience. Each piece of nigiri should have wasabi between the rice and seafood and a small amount of sauce on top, intended to be eaten fish-side-down. (SF probably has the most places that do it correctly outside NYC and LA) You're welcome to eat it however you like, but the ginger is generally speaking the palate cleanser while wasabi is historically both flav…

I always like the sushi, ginger, and soy sauce/wasabi mixture all in the same bite. Maybe I am weird, but I love that combination of flavors all at once.

Heh yeah I eat a ton of that ginger all throughout the meal
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