Pineapple Pinnacles

Sushi fanatic Doug Lambrecht wanted to make his sushi experience as authentic as possible, so he vowed to grow his own wasabi.

He headed to China and Japan, where he learnt the art of growing Wasabi which requires year-round contact with chilly moving water, so a sloping stream is pretty much the only bet.

Then he headed to the North Carolina mountains and began to grow his own. Five years later, he had his first harvest.

Hence Real Wasabi, Doug’s mission and business, which offers organic, real-McCoy wasabi (a.k.a. Wasabia Japonica) in one of two forms: dried powder or fresh rhizome. The rhizomes, the plant’s thickened stems, are chilled and shipped overnight.

To serve, grate in a tight circular motion. Then pack the shavings down into a pile and cover for about ten minutes. And, as they say at Real Wasabi, Resist the urge to shorten this timeframe.

Grate yourself a little green pile of love at www.realwasabi.com