Japan: wasabi on Matsumoto market in Chubu area on Honshu island. (Photo by: Andia/Universal Images ... [+]
Think you love wasabi? Think again – what you think is wasabi may actually be a blend of horseradish and mustard.
Wasabi is the spicy green condiment served with ginger and soy sauce at sushi restaurants. It's a paste made from the stalks of the Wasabi Japonica plant, which is challenging to grow owing to a lengthy maturity process and high sensitivity to changes in humidity and light. That makes it quite expensive, which is why nearly all wasabi in the U.S. is usually a blend of horseradish and mustard, rather than actual wasabi plant.
But Jennifer Bloeser, CEO and founder of Oregon Coast Wasabi, wants to change that.
Though the farm is small in acreage, it produces more wasabi than anywhere else in the country
Founded in 2010, Oregon Coast Wasabi is the biggest wasabi farm in the U.S., both in terms of acreage and production. Though it's petite by commercial agricultural standards when compared to wheat or alfalfa farms, they have about 20,000 plants growing at any given time. That's enough to produce anywhere from about 5,000 to 10,000 pounds of wasabi stalks, which are ground up to make wasabi paste.
Bloeser began growing wasabi in 2003 as a hobby in her backyard but didn't consider turning it into a career until she found herself looking for job opportunities during the economic recession of 2008. "My husband and I co-founded the business, and we ran it in the evenings and on the weekends in addition to our full-time jobs for the first five years" says Bloeser. "I switched over to running the business full-time because it grew to the point that it needed more attention than we could give it by running it part-time." It started as a self-funded endeavor with just two greenhouses, but Bloeser and her husband were able to secure small business loans from Business Oregon, among other sources. Expanding from two greenhouses to the nine they now have took approximately three years, and the business currently has a full-time staff of four.
Wasabi starters are available for individuals who want to try their hand at growing their own plants
Today, Oregon Coast Wasabi sells both plants and culinary products to buyers across the country. Individuals can buy wasabi starts or products like seasoning salts and wasabi powder online, and Oregon Coast Wasabi also sells to grocery stores and food distributors. Their wasabi is available at well-known restaurants like Portland's Zilla Sushi & Sake, New York City's The Dutch steakhouse, and Seattle's Bar Ferdinand. They also lend their wasabi to makers of spirits, resulting in a wasabi cider from Finnriver Farm and Cidery, a wasabi pilsner from Uncommon Brewing, and a beer made with powdered wasabi from Sunriver Brewing. Individuals can buy wasabi starters at farmer's markets and local nurseries.
Jennifer Bloeser, Oregon Coast Wasabi founder, at work in a greenhouse
Bloeser reports that business has been booming since Oregon Coast Wasabi formally began sales in 2010. Sales have increased by nearly 30% year-over-year since 2010 and completely doubled between 2018 and 2019. Bloeser says that boost is what allowed them to expand into wasabi flavorings and rubs, and why they plan to expand to a second location in 2021. Bloeser credits some of that growth to the taste difference in "real" wasabi vis-à-vis the more common horseradish-derived product. "Fresh wasabi has a much more complex flavor than the 'fake' powder," she says. "It has some sweet components and floral components in addition to the nasal spice that people are familiar with. After tasting the fresh product, we have had people tell us that the paste tastes a bit flat." Though the current location is private, they plan to offer tours and site visits when their second location opens next year.
