25 Wasabi japonicum Seeds (Eutrema japonicum) Real Wasabi Seeds

You receive 1 package of 25 Seeds

Eutrema japonicum, commonly known as wasabi or Japanese horseradish , is a perennial plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) highly valued for its pungent, spicy rhizomes used as a condiment. It is native to Japan, South Korea, and the Russian Far East, where it grows wild along cool, shaded mountain streams.

• Appearance: It is an herbaceous perennial plant that typically grows to a height of 8-24 inches (20-60 cm). It has large, attractive, heart-shaped or kidney-shaped leaves on long stalks and produces small clusters of white, four-petaled flowers in late winter to early spring.
• Rhizome: The commercially valuable part is the thick, knobby, green rhizome (often mistakenly called a "root"), which is finely grated to produce a distinctive, short-lived spicy paste. This "true" wasabi has a more complex and fleeting flavor compared to common imitations made from horseradish and green dye.
• Cultivation: Eutrema japonicum is notoriously difficult to cultivate on a large scale due to its specific environmental needs: it requires cool, humid, and shaded conditions with a constant supply of clean, flowing water. This difficulty makes true wasabi expensive and rare outside of Japan.
• Rhizomes: Grated fresh into a paste, it is a traditional condiment served with sushi and sashimi. The paste is often placed between the fish and the rice to preserve its flavor, which rapidly fades after grating.
• Leaves and Stems: They can be used raw in salads for a peppery bite, pickled to make wasabi-zuke, or battered and fried as tempura.
• Flavoring: Wasabi powder derived from the plant is used to flavor various snacks, such as wasabi peas.
• Antimicrobial and Antibacterial properties: Traditionally used with raw fish to help suppress foodborne pathogens.
• Anti-inflammatory effects: Compounds like 6-MSITC have shown anti-inflammatory potential in studies.
• Potential anti-cancer and cardiovascular benefits: Preliminary studies suggest wasabi may help reduce obesity, lower blood pressure, and has potential anticancer effects, though more clinical trials are needed to validate these findings in humans.