Fresh Wasabi!

One of those things you think about Japan - sushi and the condiment: wasabi. Some of us only ever see the green paste form and not the root form.

Found these on sale at the cable car station, on the way up to Mount Mitake.  Sure ain't cheap, these horseradish.

Fresh leaves of wasabi can also be eaten and have some of the hot flavor of wasabi roots. The leaves can be dried and used for flavour in foods such as salad dressing, cheese, and crackers or pickled fresh in sake brine or soy sauce. I read somewhere that there's wasabi wine sold  in some Japanese specialty stores as well as a higher alcohol content Wasabi liqueur.How does it taste, I wonder?

I put this photo up after eating a strongly wasabi flavoured "ika wasabi" a manager in my department bought for us as souvenir from her trip to Hokkaido.Sure cleared the nasal passage, eating these.