What is wasabi sauce, cooking recipes. Calorie content, benefits and harms to the body. Dishes with spicy seasoning, its history.
Wasabi sauce is a seasoning of the national cuisine of the countries of East Asia, with a spicy taste and creamy consistency. Green color. The original product got its name from the root from which it is made (the second name of the plant is Japanese eutreme). The dressing should be consumed only fresh - on contact with air, the sharpness is lost. In European restaurants, sushi is often served with a less spicy sauce, the main ingredient of which is a cheaper daikon.
How is wasabi sauce made?
This seasoning can only be tasted in Japan. To prepare wasabi, culinary specialists of the Land of the Rising Sun choose a 3-4-year-old root of a plant that has grown in beds in the coastal zone, washed by water with a temperature of 10-17 ° C. It is washed, the skin and protrusions are cut off, and then rubbed on a very fine plastic grater - previously, shark skin was used for this purpose. It is believed that a metal blender knife or grater negatively affects the taste of wasabi sauce, giving it an unpleasant shade. The seasoning is allowed to stand for 3-4 minutes under the lid, and then eaten within 20 minutes.
The original filling is expensive, which is why Japanese restaurants often serve an analogue. Powder from the dried root is diluted with boiled water - proportions 1: 1, freshly squeezed lemon juice is mixed in, focusing on your own taste.
How to make wasabi sauce when you don't have Japanese eutreme root or powder made from it
- Remove the tough part of the garlic arrows (500 g), chop and add to the blender bowl;
- Pour in salt (0.5 tsp) and pour in olive oil (1.5 tbsp).
There are many recipes for making wasabi sauce:
- Powder and vinegar … Connect 2 tbsp. l. powder and 2/3 tsp. powdered sugar, mix dry. If there is a mortar, it is better to grind it additionally. Bred 3 tbsp. l. cool boiled water so that lumps do not appear, and pour in 2/3 tsp. rice vinegar. Allow to stand under the lid for 10 minutes. You should not store - everything is eaten at once.
- With soy sauce … In a small glass, dilute 1: 1 root powder and cold water, 1 tsp each. and 1/3 tsp. soy sauce. Rub horseradish on a fine grater - you need 1/3 tsp. Pour in 7-10 drops of lemon juice. Stir until smooth and let it brew. The sequence is only this, if you dilute the powder immediately in soy sauce or start with horseradish, you will not be able to get the desired taste.
- With ginger … It is recommended to cook in such quantity that it can be eaten at a time. Season the blender bowl with a chopped bunch of green onions, 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 5 cm of grated ginger, juice of half a lemon and sunflower oil, 90 ml. To add color, add 0.5 tsp. wasabi powder. The homemade wasabi sauce according to this recipe resembles the original one a little, but it is tasty and spicy enough to set off fish or vegetable dishes.
- With mayonnaise … Separately mix 250 g of salad yogurt and lemon juice squeezed from 1/3 of the lemon, and fresh grated ginger, 1 tsp, with 100 g of mayonnaise. Drive 2 tsp into mayonnaise. wasabi powder and soy sauce, 1 tbsp. l. Bring to a homogeneous consistency and combine 2 parts of the seasoning. Kept in the refrigerator for 20 minutes under a lid to avoid contact with air.
- With avocado … Add 1 tsp to the seasoning described in recipe 1. the pulp of a very ripe avocado, sour cream, soy sauce, a pinch of crushed cilantro leaves and dry basil.
French restaurants offer a recipe for making wasabi sauce to season seafood, for example, shrimp, octopus or a sea cocktail: the powder of Japanese eutreme root is diluted with boiled water, as already described, a raw chicken egg is driven in, a pinch of salt and pepper are added, a few drops of lemon juice and bring to a homogeneous consistency. Let stand before tasting.
Whichever recipe is used, in order to get a spicy seasoning, it is advisable to use the following tips
- If you can get a fresh eutreme root, rub it on a plastic wrap on a fine plastic grater, and then wrap it for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients to make it brew.
- Enhance the taste of the sauce with lemon juice.
The consistency of the wasabi should be thick, but the color depends on the ingredients used in the preparation. It can be green, light and mustard yellow, creamy and pinkish. After all, the main thing is a pungent, pungently spicy taste.
Composition and calorie content of wasabi sauce
Pictured wasabi sauce
The nutritional value of a seasoning depends on the type and amount of ingredients used for preparation. The original product can be classified as dietary.
The calorie content of wasabi sauce is 109 kcal per 100 g, of which
- Proteins - 4.8 g;
- Fat - 0.63 g;
- Carbohydrates - 23.54 g;
- Dietary fiber - 7.8 g;
- Ash - 1.92 g.
The rest is water.
Vitamins per 100 g
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.131 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.114 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0.274 mg;
- Vitamin C - 41.9 g;
- Beta-carotene - 21 mg;
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid - 0.203 mg.
Minerals per 100 g
- Potassium, K - 568 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 128 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 69 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 17 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 80 mg.
- Iron, Fe - 1.03 mg;
- Manganese, Mn - 0.39 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 0.155 μg;
- Selenium, Se - 2.2 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 1.62 mg.
Wasabi sauce contains isothiocinates, which have an antioxidant effect, sinigrin with antimicrobial properties, essential oils and glycosides. Thanks to them, the product is not only tasty, but also healthy. This composition is not only for the original seasoning. A similar vitamin-mineral complex in a sauce, which is made from the powder of the root of the Japanese eutreme, however, there it is much poorer.
If mayonnaise, garlic arrows and other flavors are used for manufacturing, the nutritional value should be calculated additionally when compiling the daily menu. And you should not count on the positive effect of vitamins and minerals of the composition.
Benefits of wasabi sauce
The seasoning is valued for its antimicrobial effect: its use suppresses the development of pathogenic flora of all types - fungi, bacteria and viruses. Thanks to it, fish can be eaten raw, without heat treatment, while the organic reserve of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids is replenished, which preserves the youth and beauty of the skin. But the benefits of wasabi sauce are not limited to antiseptic properties.
The healing effect of the seasoning
- Suppresses the development of cancerous tumors and stops the malignancy of neoplasms.
- It stabilizes the liver and accelerates the elimination of toxins from the body.
- Accelerates recovery from acute respiratory viral infections and reduces the frequency of asthma attacks.
- It has an anthelmintic effect.
- Thins the blood, normalizes the functions of the hematopoietic system, and prevents thrombus formation.
- It has an antispasmodic effect, relieves joint pain.
Due to the property of wasabi to suppress hunger and reduce appetite, the sauce is used for weight loss. Diet with seasoning has not yet been developed, but for a fasting day (4 meals from 2 rolls with wasabi), you can get rid of 1-1, 5 kg.
There is also a useful property of wasabi sauce - it activates the salivary glands, promotes the production of saliva, but does not destroy tooth enamel. Therefore, the use suppresses the development of caries, periodontal disease, inflammation of the tonsils. In addition, adding to the daily menu improves mood: delicious foods cause the production of norepinephrine and serotonin, hormones of joy.
Not only the grated root has a healing effect, but also the powder. True, the healing properties are not so pronounced. But for alcohol or drug addiction, such a dietary supplement will help reduce cravings and speed up the return to normal life.
Contraindications and harm of wasabi sauce
At the first acquaintance with the seasoning, it is necessary to analyze the effect on the body. High risk of an allergic reaction. For this reason, you should not offer refueling to pregnant women, women during lactation and preschoolers. In addition, you need to understand that the analogue seasoning does not have a pronounced bacteriological effect, and when eating raw fish dishes, the microbiological hazard is not stopped.
The use of wasabi sauce is harmful in case of impaired kidney and liver function, if there is a history of chronic pancreatitis. Abuse should be avoided with increased acidity of gastric juice, gastritis, reflux esophagitis and peptic ulcer disease. Symptoms of intolerance are nausea, increased flatulence, diarrhea or constipation.
Even in healthy people, abuse can cause a hypertensive crisis, and frequent introduction into the diet can cause rosacea of the facial skin. To avoid negative action, you should follow the example of the Japanese - eat varied, but not overeat. Even if it's delicious.
Wasabi Sauce Recipes
East Asians combine a spicy hot sauce with seafood, sushi and rolls, but Europeans present the seasoning as a universal one. Served not only with traditional dishes, but also with fried and smoked fish, sandwiches, tomatoes and even with cheeses of various varieties.
Wasabi Sauce Recipes:
- Rolls … Round grain rice, 200 g, washed until the water becomes clear, and pour over for 20 minutes. After half an hour, the liquid is drained, a new one is added - 250 ml, boiled for 10-13 minutes. The swollen rice is covered with a lid and allowed to stand for 15 minutes. Cut in the form of sticks 2 fresh cucumbers and 100 g of crab sticks. Lemon juice is added to the water in which hands are moistened during work. Spread half a sheet of nori on the mat, matte side up, spread a thin layer of rice, leaving 1.5 cm at the edge, spread strips of crab sticks and cucumber on top. Roll up the roll with a mat, cut into separate pieces. These pieces are dipped in wasabi.
- Popeye Burger … Turn 280 g of beef and 120 g of meat fat through a meat grinder, mix well and beat the minced meat to saturate with air. Leave the plate of meat to stand. Make a dressing with wasabi sauce, 10 g, lime juice, 65 g, mirin, 40 ml, and a little less than half a glass of olive oil. Cut 250 g of kohlrabi into strips, and cutlets are formed from minced meat and fried on 2 sides until tender. Cut the hamburger buns in half, spread the kohlrabi, baby spinach, cutlet, pour in the dressing and cover with the other half of the bun. If desired, you can add some pepper and salt.
- Tuna tataki … Fish steak, 400 g, washed, dried with a paper towel, cut into portions along the fibers. Coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, roll in fried white sesame seeds. Fry in a hot skillet for 1 minute on each side. For dressing, mix 2 sauces - 1 tbsp. l. wasabi and 2 tbsp. l. soy, 2 tbsp. l. finely chopped green onions. Cut the tuna into thin slices and pour over the dressing. Serve until cool.
Interesting facts about wasabi sauce
Japanese eutreme root is expensive. Therefore, it is very difficult to buy original wasabi sauce outside the country. The product is not subject to long-term storage, therefore it is not packaged in jars. And if you cook it, it turns out to be "golden" - 1 kg of rhizomes is estimated at 200 euros. Such a valuable food ingredient is collected by hand, and the dressing that is obtained from it is called hon-wasabi.
Because of such a high price, most restaurants serve seasoning from powder or from daikon bitter radish, an analogue of horseradish, or green mass from a tube - the same diluted powder, only in Japan.
The first descriptions of the seasoning are found in Japanese cookbooks dating from the 14th century. The ruler of the country was then treated to a new dish with a spicy dressing, and then presented with a seedling sprout, which was the basis of the dish.
The rest of the plant is not utilized either. Tempura (a dish of deep-fried seafood in batter) is prepared from flowers and stems and beer is brewed, and the leaves are used as a spice, dressing desserts of national cuisine and ice cream.
In the Japanese village of Hotake, a monument to an expensive root is erected. The well-being of the village depends on this plant. All the peasants work in the endless fields surrounding the settlement, resembling rice in appearance.
In the rich houses of the Land of the Rising Sun, in 2011, they began to install a fire alarm, in which the pungent aroma of eutreme is used as a signal. He is able to wake up even sleeping people.
In Russia, the seasoning is called Japanese horseradish, and even the adage was added: "Fuck you, not wasabi," the taste of the sauce is compared to hot mustard. This is not surprising: it is impossible to evaluate an original product in Japanese restaurants located on the territory of Russia - as already mentioned, “improvised ingredients” are added to the seasoning, and the green color is given with preservatives. Therefore, you should try with caution - it is not known what effect chemical additives will have on the body.
Watch a video about wasabi sauce:
