What is Wasabi Peas?
Wasabi peas are a popular Japanese snack, also found as a garnish to poke bowls, among other dishes. The peas are salty and spicy, with a heat that hits the sinuses, rather than the tongue. These small, crunchy peas are about the size of a chickpea, but made from green peas. The peas are coated in oil starch, wasabi and seasonings. Horseradish usually replaces the wasabi, as wasabi is expensive and harder to come by.
What does Wasabi Peas Taste Like?
...Salty is one of the five main tastes. It has a satisfying and addictive quality with hints of sourness. Salty foods include cheeses, cured meats, chips, and olives. It is used in almost every dish and prepared food. Salt is added to enhance flavor and offer a distinctly salty taste.
...Spicy is a flavor that brings heat and fire to food by creating a burning sensation in the mouth or sinuses. Spicy flavors come from hot peppers, horseradish, and wasabi. Spicy adds a kick and sometimes complexity to a dish and releases endorphins, creating a mildly addictive quality.
Ingredients
...Green peas are a starchy green vegetable. They grow in a tough green pod and these round peas are harvested and used in many dishes. They are about 8 mm and tender with a shiny body and bright green color. They are very sweet and a bit vegetal, with a soft moist texture. Peas are used in American cuisine, as well as in spiced Indian dishes and can be found across cuisines.
...Cornstarch is obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel. This is the main body and juicy part of the kernel. Cornstarch is a fine, white powder with a squeaky texture and neutral flavor. It is used in many foods, particularly in America. Cornstarch makes an easy thickener for liquids, such as sauces and an excellent binding agent for baked goods. In the 1800's cornstarch was used for starching laundry, making the clothing appear stiff and professional.
...Vegetable oil is obtained by extracting oil from seeds. Types of vegetable oil include canola, sunflower, corn, and safflower. Light and with a neutral taste, vegetable oils are used to fry foods, or can be used to lightly coat meats and vegetables before roasting. Vegetable oils are also used as ingredients in salad dressings and sauces.
...Sugar comes from sugar cane and sugar beets. The sugar is extracted from the juice of both plants and refined into the granulated substance known as sugar. Sucrose, the sweet substance of sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. White sugar is composed of tiny white, dry granules. The flavor is sweet and neutral. Brown sugar is brown and has more moisture, with a richer flavor that hints at molasses. Sugar is used in both sweet and savory foods.
...Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
...Wasabi, also called Japanese horseradish is a plant in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. The root of the wasabi is used as a flavoring that is most commonly associated with the green condiment served alongside sushi. The wasabi root is grated or ground. The root is a light bright green and so is the paste or powder. The flavor is hot and and is felt more in the sinuses than on the tongue. Wasabi has a cool heat that is less fiery than a chili pepper, but still intensely spicy. Much of the wasabi in the US is actually horseradish, due to limited supplies of the root.