If you have ever had sushi you know that wasabi is the green paste that is mixed with soy sauce. The sushi is dipped into this mixture giving it a salty pungent flavor. However, did you know that this neon green clump with a funny name could also prevent food decay? **Warning**, do not brush your teeth with wasabi as it will literally burn your mouth. Unlike hot peppers, wasabi's burn is like horseradish - its acid actually burns. Besides a sure way to clear you sinuses, wasabi is also said to have anti-food poisoning properties. A perfect excuse to have it with raw fish.

This is one rare rhizome; Wasabi is very difficult to cultivate, taking up to 2 years to grow to maturity. Due to shortages, substitutes made of mixtures of horseradish, mustard and green food coloring have taken the place of freshly prepared wasabi. If you buy wasabi powder, you'll note that the color is gray not green. After you add equal parts warm water the color will become neon green after 15 minutes. Besides sushi wasabi flavoring has pervaded potato chips, salad dressings, end even ice cream.

Fire Extiguishing Tip:
If you ever accidentally swallow a large clump of wasabi, put out the fire in your mouth with lots of water.

Wasabi Science:
David M., a Smokin' Gourmet writes:
About the contention that Wasabi and mustard burns are caused by sulfuric acid ("The Art of Burnin' Love" in the Smokin' Gourmet section of The Messy Gourmet Cookbook): I'm not sure that's the case. The active compound in wasabi and mustard is allyl isothiocynate, also known as mustard oil. It certainly does contain a sulfur atom, but I'm not sure that what you taste is sulfuric acid. I have heard that cutting an onion releases volatile and unstable sulfenic acids which turn to sulfuric acid in your eyes, causing the burning and watering normally associated with that activity. I haven't seen that mustard oil works similarly.

The interesting thing about the pungent powers of onion, garlic, mustard, wasabi, etc. is that the actual chemicals are only produced when the vegetable is cut or crushed so that the precursor chemicals can mix and react. A fresh whole chunk of horseradish doesn't have any kick in it. It is only when the root is ground or bitten into that the burning chemicals are produced. If you take dried mustard or wasabi powder and dab a bit on your tongue, you won't sense much. If you mix it with water, there will be more taste. Mix it with water and then wait ten minutes (for the chemical reaction to get going) and one taste could knock you over. If the mustard powder is mixed with some liquid other than water, like vinegar or wine, this will alter the chemical reaction and change the taste of the final mustard, hence the difference in sharpness between Colmans (mixed with water), yellow mustard (mixed with vinegar) and Dijon (mixed with white wine).

Last week I discovered wasabi-coated dried peas. I was always curious to try them, so I took advantage of the opportunity. You can definitely see that if you pop one in your mouth and immediately crunch on it, the sensation is totally different than if you suck on it for a few seconds first, giving the wasabi a chance to mix with your saliva and gain potency. I also discovered that after eating a medium sized bag of them over the course of a few days that I seem to have burned off a good portion of the taste buds on my tongue. The middle part of my tongue still has that sensation similar to what you get from one of those anesthetizing sore throat lozenges or sprays. Oh well. They'll grow back soon.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: there's a bit of masochist in those who crave spicy foods.

Chestnuts Nuking in a Microwave Forget the open fire! Contributed by an anonymous tipster!

To peel chestnuts in a hurry, slit the shell then nuke them for 30 seconds. The peels are much easier to get off than they are if you roast or boil the nuts. Do them in small batches, 3-5 nuts at a time, or the nuts will have cooled off too far to shell out easily. Sit by the fireplace, hum some Nat King Cole and munch.