100 Views of a Town in Japan: Wasabi

Wasabi Field in Aomori, Japan. April 2021.

Wasabi cultivation: where field and forest meet. I was very surprised over the weekend when some friends brought me to this wasabi field in my town. I've seen the spicy leafy greens of the wasabi plant in packages for sale at roadside stations and farmers' markets many times, but I had never seen how it grows. Apparently it likes the shade, and so this forest has the perfect conditions to cultivate the plants.

Wasabi Field Rows in Aomori, Japan. April 2021

If you don't look at it from right angle, you might miss at a passing glance that this forest undergrowth was clearly planted on purpose.

Plants of a Wasabi Field in Aomori, Japan. April 2021.

The whole leafy part, including the flowers, is edible. The farmer at this wasabi forest field had us try some of it pickled. It was a bit like spinach or swiss chard with an added nose-running sensation.

Wasabi forest in Aomori, Japan. April 2021.

So what do you think: Is this a wasabi field or a wasabi forest?