Yamawasabi

I know there are so many nice foods in Hokkaido — if you can afford them. But I love these humble plant roots, or Japanese horseradish as you might call it.

Yamawasabi lasts very long. Long enough to be a fridge staple. I spray food-grade alcohol on the surface and haven't seen it go moldy or rot in a week or longer. (Disclaimer: This is just my personal observation. If you try this, please do so at your own risk!)

I can hardly find fresh citrus for garnish - especially within an affordable price range (by my standards) here, but yamawasabi is readily available at almost every grocery store and generally speaking, affordably priced at around 200 yen. A small amount of yamawasabi nicely stands in for it in dishes such as hot soba, salads, and hiyayakko.