A particularly hot selection of brown mustard (Brassica juncea, the same species as ordinary brown mustard), specifically developed for microgreen cultivation to deliver an intense heat evoking that of authentic Japanese wasabi — hence the name.
Note however: despite the name, this is not true wasabi (Eutrema japonicum, a semi-aquatic plant from Japan, already mentioned in our pages for the Wasabi radish). It is rather a mustard variety that very successfully mimics the hot-sharp-rising profile of wasabi thanks to its particularly high concentration of allyl isothiocyanate — exactly the same molecule responsible for the heat of authentic wasabi, horseradish, and the Wasabi radish. Three different plants, one shared chemistry.
Small green shoots with fine stems sometimes tinged reddish, similar to those of classic brown mustard but with an even more intense flavour — explosive immediate heat, sinus-opening sensation, a rise to the nose like a good pinch of wasabi on a sushi, followed by an herbaceous freshness in the finish.
Use: in very small amounts, never in a bouquet or filling a sandwich, but as a concentrated touch — a few shoots on a maki, on a tuna or salmon tartare, on a beef tataki, in a poke bowl, or as a finishing touch on a miso soup. The chef's microgreen par excellence when you want a "living wasabi" effect without the exorbitant cost and tricky authenticity of real river wasabi.
- Soaking: not required (small seeds); optional 4-6 hours.
- Germination time: 2-3 days.
- Sprout harvest: 4-6 days after soaking begins.
- Microgreen harvest: 8-12 days after sowing.
- Yield: about 1 tsp of seeds produces a 20 × 20 cm tray of microgreens.
- Best uses: sushi, fish tartares, poke bowls, "living wasabi" garnishes.
