wasabi / horse radish cultivation
山葵栽培 wasabi-saibai
Wasabi is native to Japan. It grows in mountain streams and wetlands. The rhizomes are used in Japanese cuisine as a hot spice and the leaves are edible used as a condiment and seasoning due to their strong pungent flavour. “Daio Wasabi Farm” is a wasabi farm in Azumino, Nagano prefecture, which was opened in 1917. This is Japan’s largest wasabi garden which utilises spring water from the Northern Alps. It took 20 years to complete the garden in a field overgrown with weeds. The wasabi fields receive 120,000 tonnes of spring water daily and the water temperature is 12 °C all year round. Harvesting takes place throughout the year. The wasabi fields are covered with black gauze from April to the end of September, as they are sensitive to direct sunlight.
other customs + traditions
