Whats the point of soy sauce and wasabi on sushi?

[JEDI]

i eat sushi w/o the soy sauce and wasabi.

the first time i tried sushi, i was following the lead of others at my table.
wasabi in soy sauce to taste, then lightly dip sushi into the mixture.
i could hardly taste the fillings.

i've even seen some people dunk the sushi into the mixute. might as well pour spicy soy sauce over rice since thats all you're tasting.

 

[lxskllr]

I like wasabi. True, it obliterates the taste of the sushi, but it's worth it to me for some of he pieces.

 

[MovingTarget]

Salty goodness and cleared sinuses, to name a few. If you can't taste the sushi, either you are using too much or your tastebuds are deficient. It is like putting ketchup on a hamburer or hotdog. It has its place.

 

[zerocool84]

Same reason why you don't put steak sauce on steaks. I want to taste what I'm eating, not cover it up.

 

[Miramonti]

Salt and heat are the dynastic foundations of awesomeness.

 

[Via]

I mix a few drops of Teriyaki into my soy sauce.

 

[dighn]

Salt and heat are the dynastic foundations of awesomeness.

exactly. just use a little to enhance the flavor rather than cover it. you don't have to drench it in soy sauce.

 

[dighn]

oh noes time warps are teh back

 

[Jadow]

I'm doing the Atkins diet right now, but man some crunchy spicy tuna roll with a little drop of wasabi and some soy sauce sounds awesome.

 

[linuxboy]

Just the opposite; it does not cover up the flavors but enhances them. The umami of soy sauce helps to taste the meatiness of the fish. And the wasabi acts as a cleanser for the nose... much of of sense of flavor is due to the smells we perceive. So it is all together a perfect combination when used sensibly to try and enjoy sushi as much as physiologically possible.

 

[clamum]

I've only had sushi once or twice but I dipped it in a little soy sauce. It was good and I'd do it again, TYVM.

 

[Via]

I'm doing the Atkins diet right now, but man some crunchy spicy tuna roll with a little drop of wasabi and some soy sauce sounds awesome.

What stage are you in? You could probably get away with it.

 

[Eureka]

Soy sauce has glutamates in it. Same reason why you use salt and pepper... a small amount affects your taste buds. If you use the right amounts, it actually helps your taste buds work more.

 

[disappoint]

What kind of wasabi are we talking about? Actual, real wasabi or horseradish with green food coloring?

 

[MontyAC]

Use light soy with wasabi = goodness.

 

[JM Aggie08]

I agree that some rolls should be eaten naked, but then there are times where a dab of soy and wasabi completely enhance the flavor.

To each their own, I suppose.

 

[PenguinPower]

The point of wasabi is to kill harmful bacteria on the raw fish. Soy sauce enhances flavor, and gari cleanses the palate and aids in digestion.

Also, this.

 

[TecHNooB]

sometimes soy sauce is too sharp. i prefer oyster sauce or w/e it is that they serve at my local sushi place with the fried squid.

 

[darkxshade]

Just eat it with Sriracha sauce

 

[MontyAC]

Interesting to note that lots of wasabi used is not actual wasabi, but colored horseradish.

http://wasabi.org/articles/wasabi-the-asian-superfood/

All this is very fine, but when 99% of “wasabi” being sold is only coloured horseradish how can you tell if what you are consuming, either as a food or a supplement is authentic wasabi? Even if the supplier tells you that the product is the authentic plant extract how can you be sure? After all, the lie has been going for over six decades and seems likely to continue into the future unless someone makes a stand against it.
In 2009 an organisation, the “World Wasabi Council” was formed by Wasabia japonica growers and manufacturers with the sole purpose of defeating this 60 year old lie by carrying out independent scientific tests to ensure that products that carry the “Authentic Wasabi” logo do not contain any European horseradish and/or artifical colourings.

 

[Oyeve]

Interesting to note that lots of wasabi used is not actual wasabi, but colored horseradish.

http://wasabi.org/articles/wasabi-the-asian-superfood/

All this is very fine, but when 99% of “wasabi” being sold is only coloured horseradish how can you tell if what you are consuming, either as a food or a supplement is authentic wasabi? Even if the supplier tells you that the product is the authentic plant extract how can you be sure? After all, the lie has been going for over six decades and seems likely to continue into the future unless someone makes a stand against it.
In 2009 an organisation, the “World Wasabi Council” was formed by Wasabia japonica growers and manufacturers with the sole purpose of defeating this 60 year old lie by carrying out independent scientific tests to ensure that products that carry the “Authentic Wasabi” logo do not contain any European horseradish and/or artifical colourings.

Dude, wasabi is a horseradish, as is all mustard.

 

[MontyAC]

Dude, wasabi is a horseradish, as is all mustard.

There is a difference:

wasabi

horseradish

http://wasabi.org/about/about-2/


One thing we need to get clear – not all wasabi is really wasabi!
The majority of so called wasabi is actually “faux” wasabi made from coloured horseradish with mustard, cornflour and other stuff added.


http://wasabi.org/articles/is-your-wasabi-really-coloured-horseradish/

 

[Oyeve]

There is a difference:

wasabi

horseradish

http://wasabi.org/about/about-2/


One thing we need to get clear – not all wasabi is really wasabi!
The majority of so called wasabi is actually “faux” wasabi made from coloured horseradish with mustard, cornflour and other stuff added.

They are all in the same family and all relatively taste the same. I make my own wasabi from all 3 sources and they are pretty much all the same both in taste and quality. So even if "wasabi" is made from horseradish the quality is the same.

 

[MontyAC]

They are all in the same family and all relatively taste the same. I make my own wasabi from all 3 sources and they are pretty much all the same both in taste and quality. So even if "wasabi" is made from horseradish the quality is the same.

They are from the same family but there is a difference. From wiki:


Wasabi (わさび（山葵）?, originally 和佐比; Wasabia japonica or Eutrema japonica),[1] is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. It is also called Japanese horseradish,[2] although horseradish is a different plant (which is often used as a substitute for wasabi)

Wasabi is difficult to cultivate, and that makes it quite expensive. Due to its high cost, a common substitute is a mixture of horseradish, mustard, starch and green food coloring.

 

[Puppies04]

Same reason why you don't put steak sauce on steaks. I want to taste what I'm eating, not cover it up.

I find this kind of food snobbery amazingly retarded. Sometimes I want a plain steak, sometimes I want a nice sauce with it (home made). In both cases I certainly can "taste what I'm eating" as I am eating the sauce as well.

Sooner or later I am certain this BS is going to result in me reading "oh I never put sauce on my pasta, I want to taste what I'm eating. In fact I don't own a single condiment and all my recipes consist of 1 item."