The other day, my good friend Miss Asami Itoh, invited me and 7 more guests to make wasabi zuke according to a traditional recipe at her company, Marufuku Tea Factory Co. Ltd in Shizuoka.
Wasabi zuke literally means “pickled wasabi” and it is a typical agricultural product of Shizuoka Prefecture, and particularly Shizuoka, the birthplace of wasabi in Japan. Wasabi Zuke might be common in Shizuoka but I can assure you it is a rare and expensive delicacy away from our region.
Maruku Tea factory in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka
For that particular session, all products were either from Shizuoka or made in Japan. The fresh wasabi roots and stems were cultivated in the mountains along the Abe River in Shizuoka, the sake kasu/sake white lees came directly from a sake brewery in Shizuoka Prefecture. The salt, brown cane sugar and the mirin/sweet sake were all made in Japan.
The wasabi and the sake kasu/sake white lees
All the ingredients for 8 people
The fresh and clean wasabi roots were of very good quality but cheaper (by Shizuoka standards) due to their “inferior” shape.
The fresh wasabi stems
Unprocessed sea salt and top class sugar cane sugar
The mirin/sweet sake
Each member was allotted the following for the recipe:
Fresh wasabi root: 375 g
Wasai stems and small leaves: 375 g
Sake kasu/Sake white lees: 500 g
Salt: 37 g
Sugar: 100-120 g
Mirin/sweet sake: optional
Making sure that everybody understood the proportions
Weighing up everyone’s share
First, chop the wasabi stems
My share of wasabi roots
We were soon all in tears chopping away the wasabi roots
First chopping
Second chopping
Third chopping, the roots have to be hand-chopped finely to obtain maximum piquancy. A machine would not do a good job, it is all slow food.
Mixing the chopped stems and roots, adding the salt, mix well and let rest for 20 minutes.
A well-earned rest
Press out by hand as much of the excess water as possible.
Softened sake kasu/sake white lees. If you use unprocessed sake kasu, you will have to soften it by kneading it or using a beater.
Adding the sake kasu
Adding the sugar
Mix the whole thing by hand until you obtain a smooth paste. Taste and add mirin/sweet sake if necessary.
Filling small boxes to take back home, we had 1.2 kg of it each! Note that it is greener than the comparatively cheap variety you will find in shops downtown and I dare not have imagined the price even in Shizuoka. It is to be eaten over freshly steamed white rice, with baked poultry, sausages and even hot on toasts.
