wasabi

/wəˈsɑbi/

/wəˈsɒbi/

The spicy, edible root called wasabi can be ground into an even spicier green paste that's served with many Japanese foods — and is also called wasabi.

Watch out for the wasabi sitting innocently on the plate beside your sushi! It may look like a blob of avocado, but it tastes pungent and deeply spicy. The flavor and spice of wasabi is often compared to horseradish or spicy mustard; you don't feel the heat on your tongue so much as in the back of your nose. Sometimes the Japanese plant is unavailable and horseradish root is used instead — sushi chefs call this "Western Wasabi."

Definitions of wasabi

1. noun

   a Japanese plant of the family Cruciferae with a thick green root
   type of:

   herb, herbaceous plant

   a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
2. noun

   the thick green root of the wasabi plant that the Japanese use in cooking and that tastes like strong horseradish; in powder or paste form it is often eaten with raw fish
   type of:

   condiment

   a preparation (a sauce or relish or spice) to enhance flavor or enjoyment