What’s Actually in the ‘Wasabi’ You Get with Your Sushi

In case you re wondering: you should be able to tell the difference between fake and real wasabi. Yamamoto says it s difficult to describe the taste of true wasabi, but that its sour and pungent spice should be balanced by an underlying sweetness and herby smell. Mind you, you might never try the real stuff, since 95 percent of Japanese restaurants offer fake wasabi, even in Japan. “There are conveyor belt restaurants, and they also use fake wasabi, but we call it ‘western’ wasabi, says Yamamoto.

via www.vice.com

I did not know that.