It's actually deep! What is wasabi?

About types of wasabi

For Japanese people, wasabi is indispensable in a variety of cuisines, from Japanese to Western to French. There are two types of wasabi: ``honwasabi'', which is unique to Japan, and ``horseradish'', which is native to Europe.

Horseradish is often used in the tubed wasabi that we often eat, as well as in the powdered wasabi found in furikake and ochazuke bases.

Horseradish is characterized by a sharp, pungent taste that hits your nose, and is said to be relatively easy to cultivate as it has a strong ability to grow naturally.

On the other hand, wasabi is very delicate and grows in a rich natural environment and with the careful handiwork of people.

Hon wasabi can be cultivated in two ways: ``sawa wasabi'' (water wasabi), which is cultivated in wasabi fields with clear streams, and ``hata wasabi'' (land wasabi), which is cultivated in cool mountain forests.

Sawa wasabi grows large rhizomes and is eaten raw or grated. Hata wasabi grows large stems and is used for processed products such as wasabi tubes. Below, we will explain in detail about sawawa wasabi, which is often thought of as"wasabi".

　

Sawa wasabi is classified into two types: ``Mazuma type'' and ``Seedling type.''

Seedlings have the bright green color that is often seen in the image of wasabi, are mildly spicy, and have a refreshing taste when grated.

On the other hand, the Mazuma variety grows slowly over time, so it has a strong spiciness, aroma, and flavor, and is sticky when grated.

It is often used in long-established sushi restaurants and restaurants, and is said to have the highest quality among all wasabi varieties, making it the most highly rated wasabi on the market.

It is extremely rare and not many are available on the market, so even we Japanese have limited opportunities to taste it.

-Characteristicsof the true wife species-

・Good balance of aroma, spiciness, sweetness, and bitterness

・Strong flavor with a hint of sweetness amidst the spiciness

・It is sticky when grated

・It will not grow well unless conditions such as water quality, water temperature, soil, sunlight hours, and temperature are met.

・It is very rare because it grows slowly, taking about 1.5 to 2 years from seeding to harvest, and there is a high risk of getting sick during the process.

About the role of wasabi

Wasabi is so nutritious and has a wide variety of nutrients that it has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times, and is said to have a wide range of health and beauty effects.

Excessive intake can put a strain on the stomach and intestines, but it is said that consuming 3 to 5 g per day is ideal.

Wasabi crisis! ? Issues and current status of wasabi

To begin with, wasabi cultivation requires clear water and cool temperatures throughout the year, as well as the need to survive Japan's hot summers twice, so production areas are quite limited in Japan.

In fact, approximately 85 % of the nation's wasabi production is concentrated in three prefectures: Shizuoka, Nagano, and Iwate, making it difficult to scale up and new entry into the industry.

In addition, in recent years, damage to wasabi fields due to natural disasters such as typhoons and heavy rains due to climate change, a decrease in the number of producers and successors due to the aging of the population, and know-how becoming individualized have become major issues, and domestic wasabi production The amount continues to decrease.

In order to protect Japan's precious food culture called "wasabi," we must create something that will allow even inexperienced people with no agricultural knowledge to reliably harvest wasabi, regardless of the environment such as climate or location. ?

With this in mind, we conducted research on technology to realize environmentally controlled agriculture and developed a plant factory that can solve the problems faced by wasabi.

What is the container-type plant factory “Wasabi Cultivation Module”?

This wasabi cultivation module was developed by NEXTAGE Co., Ltd.

The size of the plant factory is a relatively small 40-foot container (approximately 17 tatami mats).

Rather than a large-scale plant factory, we aim to establish a production base near the areas where wasabi is needed, and to be able to supply high-quality Matsuma wasabi when needed.

The number of plants that can be planted is approximately 1,800. In a space that is environmentally controlled with LED lighting, air conditioning/water temperature control, CO2 supply management, humidifiers, etc., it is possible to cultivate Matsuma wasabi in about 10 months, which would normally take about two years.

Because it is grown inside a container, it is not affected by climate change or typhoons.

A remote monitoring system has also been installed inside the container. With this support system, including experts providing remote cultivation guidance and holding telephone conferences based on information from cameras and sensors, and a system that issues alerts if any abnormalities occur inside the container, even first-timers can grow wasabi with peace of mind.

Summary

This time, we introduced wasabi and plant factories suitable for its cultivation.

After reading this far, I would like to consider implementing it! If you think so, please contact us using the button below.