Wasabi needs no introduction; this root (related to horseradish) is used on everything from sushi to soba, and it’s hot, unique taste is certainly unforgettable! I have a certain fondness for the “Teardrop Roll”, a roll made of pickled wasabi. It clears your sinuses, let me tell you!
Wasabi’s pretty awesome, and the birthplace of wasabi is in Shizuoka Prefecture’s Utogi. Pure, clean water is necessary to produce good wasabi, and Utogi is famous for it’s water. For everything you ever wanted to know about wasabi, take a look at this website!
I use the tubed stuff mostly because it’s easy, but if you can get the real deal in a local supermarket, it’s vastly superior, and you can tell. I’ve been keeping an eye out for it in my local supermarket, but fresh shipments out here in the country are few and far between. If I find some, I’ll post some pictures!
Edit 2015.11.13: I had the chance to visit Shizuoka specifically to visit a wasabi farm this October! It wasn’t in Utogi, but in Kawazu on the Izu Peninsula. I didn’t have a chance to take many wasabi pictures with the actual card, so the postcard picture is more of an afterthought, but enjoy the pictures anyway!

Wasabi: the real deal

A farm in Kawazu

Washing the roots

Lunch, from this

To this!

I also made “wasabizuke”, which is pickled wasabi stem and leaves

I even tried wasabi ice cream!

Yeah… sorry. Afterthought.