Artificial Wasabi

Today, I went to Newport Beach. I accidentally found a Japanese convenience store called Famima that just grand opened there. There were many sushi, rice ball and bottle of green tea unlike typical American convenience stores. I ate sushi there. The package contained soy souse and wasabi. The wasabi was ridiculously too hot! It was the strongest wasabi I had ever eaten. I usually like to use a lot of wasabi. The taste of the wasabi was not too bad, but it was way too pungent. I checked the ingredients. There was no wasabi. The wasabi pack was made by Tetsujin Wasabi, and I figured it was not made in Japan.

Real wasabi is a vegetable, and it is very expensive. It's because the plant grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. So it's not easy to grow wasabi.

After grating the wasabi root, you are ready to eat.

Most people in Japan don't buy wasabi root because it's not affordable. Japanese people buy tube of wasabi.

This tube of wasabi is made of 100% wasabi. This is made by S&B, which is a famous Japanese food company. I think this taste is almost as same as fresh grated wasabi root.

When I eat Japanese food in the U.S., I often feel that it is not authentic one. The most inexpensive Japanese foods are totally Americanized. If you want to eat authentic Japanese foods in the U.S., you have to go to very expensive Japanese restaurants. It can be helped. I can't afford such an expensive meal. I miss authentic sushi in Japan.

 Today's Vocabulary

・ ridiculously : adverb / ばかばかしいほど

・ pungent : adjective / （食品・香辛料などが）ヒリヒリする、鼻にツンとくる (Pronunciation is pʌ'ndʒənt)

・ authentic : adjective / 本物の、正真正銘の (Pronunciation is ɔːθe'ntik)