Press

What Is Real Wasabi & Why Don’t Sushi Places Use It?

April 5, 2019

I weighed in on this piece for Eat This, Not That! about the green paste you swirl into soy sauce (which is not real wasabi … that stuff is super rare!). So what are sushi restaurants actually serving you?

“Both real wasabi and real horseradish have some functional properties, including antioxidant and antimicrobial capabilities. It’s worth noting that they come from the same family, Brassicaceae [which also includes kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, among others]—think of them as cousins,” Feller tells us. “Also, the health benefits are seen when they are consumed in their whole and minimally processed forms.” In fact, a study in the journal BioFactors found that both wasabi and horseradish prevent the growth of food poisoning bacteria and fungi and can even deactivate a well-known carcinogen in broiled fish and meat—making both choices excellent sides to your raw fish dinner.

Maya Feller

Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is the founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition. In her practice, her team provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition coaching for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, disordered eating, and more. Maya believes in providing inclusive nutrition education from an anti-bias patient-centered, culturally humble approach to help people make informed food choices. Maya shares her approachable, food-based solutions with millions of people through regular speaking engagements, writing, her social platforms, and as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America, is a Healthline Medical Advisor, and on the advisory board for SHAPE and Parents, as well as appearing on TODAY Show, Tamron Hall, and in The New York Times, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, Food Network, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Prevention, Glamour, SELF, and more. She is the author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life and Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (goop Press, January 24, 2023).

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.