market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Market Farming
List archive
- From: "Trish and Joe Useldinger" <jeusel AT ix.netcom.com>
- To: <Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Cc:
- Subject: [Market-farming] wasabi
- Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 15:50:32 -0000
Hi all, I am a lurker on this list who appreciates
all the good info you people gladly share. A few months ago I saw that the
dept of Ag had Wasabi on it's list of alternative crops. Interested,
I began research and found the two trains of thought; grow it near running water
as it is done in Japan and or Hydroponicaly, and regular cultivation in
soil. Either way I read that the plant is the same and only the wasabi
purist who knows the source might be qualified to debate quality. I say
this as it seems there are few sources of real wasabi in the U.S. to base a
standard against. What the bulk of the restaurants serve is horseradish
with a dye that they pass off as wasabi to the public who know no
difference. I have had some of this before and I remember trying to
suppress the urge to scream and bounce off the walls like a cartoon charachter
from the burn [real wasabi is said to have a intense burn that quickly goes away
to a pleasant flavor]. I visited a large asian market and spoke with the produce
worker stocking a nicely sized fresh produce dept. when I asked about
fresh wasabi I got a look from him as if I had asked for something wildly
funny. he pointed me towards an aisle that had powdered wasabi. He
did tell me it would be too expensive to bring in fresh. As
Adriana said "the cultural requirements are particular" , but if the people in
the pacific north west have managed to do it, then others can too, although They
are fortunate to have ideal weather and growing conditions. You mention a
non food source? Are you to use it in a cosmetic or such and not as a
condiment? I see that the people now cultivating it dont really have large
facilities. As this is to regulate demand and price or just a logistics
issue related to propagation and leangth to maturity I realy dont know. As
I said before, I am just a no body lurker, looking for a niche to enter into for
growing a product as a one man operation. Wasabi looks like it has
potential for a nice upside, unless it is turned into an equivilant of
the Jojoba or ginseng frenzies of the past. There are no magic beans
outside of the Jack and the beanstalk story, and I will keep up further research
until such a time as I am sure that I will not be throwing hard earned money
into a bad venture. I found a site for bulk foods that sells wasabi powder in
bulk, asian stores sell powder, I have yet to hear of a fresh source, perhaps
the time is come to venture into this market? please keep us apprised of what
you find out!
Joe
No farm
No Website
Nobody!
|
-
[Market-farming] Wasabi,
adriana, 02/29/2004
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- [Market-farming] wasabi, Trish and Joe Useldinger, 02/29/2004
Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.