Wasabi is a Japanese spice used in Hawaiian cooking.
Historically, the people of Hawaii would have cooked exclusively with ingredients and spices that could be found growing naturally on the islands. However, a large amount of immigrants came to the islands over the years, bringing their traditional spices with them. Modern Hawaiian food is now a fusion of various Asian cuisines, so the spices of Hawaii are also used in other styles of cooking. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Chinese Five Spice
Chinese Five Spice is a common blend of spices used in Hawaiian cuisine. Five spice is made from powdered forms of cassia cinnamon, cassia bud, ginger, cloves and star anise. It is designed to give a equal mix of warm, cool, sweet and spicy to a given dish. This is based on the Chinese belief that you should balance yin and yang in all parts of life, even in food.
Ginger
Ginger came to Hawaiian cuisine via immigrants from countries such as China, Japan and the Philippines. It's now also grown in Hawaii. The ginger used in cooking is the tuberous root of the ginger plant. It has a brown, nobbled exterior and white, fleshy interior. Ginger gives a distinctive, sweet flavor to food and is often used in sauces and stir fries.
Hawaiian Salt
Hawaiian salt is also known as Alaea salt. This salt has a red-brown hue, because it contains red volcanic clay, which is called Alaea. The volcanic clay is added to the salt for health reasons, as it contains 80 minerals. Hawaiian salt is milder than regular salt and retains a distinctive crunchy texture. It's used in traditional Hawaiian dishes like Kalua Pig. In past times, it was used in ritual blessings and in purification of homes, temples and canoes.
Wasabi
Wasabi is a spice that originates in Japan and was made popular in Hawaii by immigrants and migrant workers. It's made from Japanese horseradish and comes in the form of a green paste, or a green powder, which is mixed with water to form a paste. It's flavor is hot in a way similar to strong English mustard. It can be used as a condiment for dipping or as an in other dishes.
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