WASABI DARUMA
A pungent delight seldom available to the home gardener. Even at sushi establishments and specialty grocers, ‘wasabi’ pastes most often derive their spicy kick from its relatives, horseradish and mustard, and lack the nuanced flavor of true wasabi: an intense, aromatic heat that quickly subsides, giving way to a smooth, sweet finish that lingers. Though chefs use any and all parts of the plant, it is prized for its root, or rhizome, which is grated and served as a ubiquitous condiment for sushi and noodle dishes in its native Japan. Wasabi has now found its way into a broader range of culinary applications, lending zing to traditional sauces, dressings, rubs, cocktails, even ice cream! Roots command up to $100 per pound here in the states, but a few specialty growers and new research from the Pacific Northwest Extension have shown promise for stateside gardens. Our hardy, disease-resistant ‘Daruma’ selection is propagated from disease-free tissue cultures. Attractive plants have heart-shaped to round foliage and will provide harvests of delicious, high quality, thick green roots and multiple plant divisions after 2 years.
Wasabi bare root plants are ready to ship now and are available only within the contiguous US. Naturally resilient to transplant stress, we ship wasabi plant starts bare root with the stems and leaves trimmed away so the plants arrive healthy. We have found that the plants travel better when shipped bare root rather than in pots because the leaf stems of wasabi can be broken during shipping or pull the plant over on its side uprooting it. They arrive ready to plant!
