wasabi

American  

[wah-sah-bee] / wɑˈsɑ bi /

noun

1. an Asian plant, Eutrema wasabi, of the mustard family.

2. the pungent, greenish root of this plant, which can be grated and used as a condiment.

---

wasabi British  

/ wəˈsɑːbɪ /

noun

1. a Japanese cruciferous plant, Eutrema Wasabi , cultivated for its thick green pungent root

2. the root of this plant, esp in paste or powder form, used as a condiment in Japanese cookery

---

Etymology

Origin of wasabi

(< New Latin ) < Japanese

---

Explanation

The spicy, edible root called wasabi can be ground into an even spicier green paste that's served with many Japanese foods — and is also called wasabi. Watch out for the wasabi sitting innocently on the plate beside your sushi! It may look like a blob of avocado, but it tastes pungent and deeply spicy. The flavor and spice of wasabi is often compared to horseradish or spicy mustard; you don't feel the heat on your tongue so much as in the back of your nose. Sometimes the Japanese plant is unavailable and horseradish root is used instead — sushi chefs call this "Western Wasabi."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wasabi

“The kick from the wasabi, that sensation, will cut down the fat.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

A few mountains away from Breckenridge, in Aspen Snowmass, a ski-in/ski-out operation called the Hot Dogger recently started serving its namesake item with toppings like furkake, nori and wasabi relish.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The nigiri is where Ikigai really shines, but start with the freshly grated wasabi, especially if you’ve never tried it before.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

At $45, the wasabi and caviar tots are considerably cheaper than the $100 caviar nuggets served at Camphor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2025

Danny’s cheeks felt like the time he accidentally ate a blob of spicy wasabi thinking it was a piece of avocado.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---