Alas, wasabi isn't typically ranked on the Scoville Scale. As wikipedia explains:
Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapors that irritate the nasal passages more than the tongue.
Reading further in the same wikipedia article, I found a shocking revelation: I'm not sure I've ever had wasabi!
Almost all sushi bars in America and Japan serve imitation (seiyō) wasabi because authentic wasabi is extremely expensive. Few people, even in Japan, realize that the wasabi that they consume is in fact an imitation. Although very hard to find, real wasabi powder (from Wasabia japonica plant) is a convenient way to experience true wasabi's remarkable flavor, but most commercially available "wasabi" powders contain no true wasabi at all. Most utilize a powdered imitation made from horseradish, mustard seed, and green food coloring (sometimes Spirulina). Whether real or imitation the powder is mixed with an equal amount of water to make a paste.
To distinguish between the true variety of wasabi and the imitation product, real wasabi is known in Japan as hon-wasabi (本山葵), meaning original, or true wasabi.
Have all of those Japanese restaurants been lying to us? I checked a tiny packet of wasabi leftover in our fridge from the last time we got take-out sushi (I think it came from Whole Foods) -- the first ingredient is "Japanese Horseradish", which implies that it's made with real wasabi. But I presume my nostril-burning peanuts are coated in something other than hon-wasabi, and I wonder how many times I've actually tasted the real thing in my sushi-eating experience.
Damn you, wikipedia! First you topple the conventional wisdom on peaches, and now this! Can't we go on in our blissful ignorance??
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