Considering its spicy taste, this might not be the most appropriate statement, but it certainly describes reality well: Wasabi is having a bittersweet moment. Dessert because its international demand is increasing thanks to the success of Japanese cuisine beyond Japanese borders. Bad because this global boom, a trend that has turned it into a condiment appreciated on tables and in kitchens around the world, comes at a turbulent time for its producers, threatened by climate change and a lack of generational change in crop fields.

The world wants more wasabi. The real question is… Will Japan be able to meet this demand?

Japanese food, fashion. Japanese cuisine is appreciated. Maybe it’s a subjective statement, but there is definitely data to support it. Recently, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture conducted a survey to get a real idea of ​​how many Japanese restaurants are open outside their country, and the result was striking, to say the least. Their accounts were around 187,000; This is more than three times the figure counted just a decade ago and 20% more than those recorded in 2021. The study highlights the growth achieved in Asia and Europe and how national companies are benefiting from the growth spurt. Japanese gastronomy like Royal Holdings will expand

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Wasabi for everyone. It may not be to every taste, but wasabi is benefiting from this global excitement for Japanese cuisine as well. The data is clear again. And strong. Despite the negative effects of the pandemic, the global wasabi market faces good prospects. This is also seen in the report prepared by Business Research, which leaves two pieces of information to think about: If its value is set at $ 398.1 million in 2022, then the estimates for 2028 already reach 652.3.

A million dollar business. Magazine Nikkei Asia A few days ago I published a report with more tips to understand the extent to which wasabi is in demand outside Japan. The success of Japanese cuisine has allowed it to gain a following in the rest of Asia and the West, increasing the accounts of companies devoted to export in the process.

One of these is Kameya Foods, which is dedicated to growing wasabi and processing it into food, which is then marketed outside the country. Its exports have been increasing for years until they reach 170 million yen, or $1.13 million, in 2023. The company has already set a goal of reaching 500 million yen ($3.4 million) in the short term by 2026.

Another example comes from Kinjirushi, a company based in Nagoya and dedicated to marketing foods made with wasabi. Nikkei He states that its sales have been increasing at an annual rate of nearly 10 percent for a while, which has enabled it to achieve a remarkable presence in the international arena: “We are currently exporting to approximately 70 countries. Our goal is to expand sales abroad as well. By exploring new markets in Africa and South America, we have reached 100 countries.” “We are targeting the country,” he states.

Wasabi “Made in Japan”. Report Nikkei Asia Another interesting idea remains floating around: As we internationalize and expand into new markets, wasabi also diversifies. Nowadays, sauces, appetizers, mayonnaise, candies… all are made with their own flavor or with this type of radish.

There are even tubes and packages containing a green horseradish mixture. Others do not directly combine wasabi this way. Although the plant is grown in various parts of the world, including China, Israel, Chile, and the United States, among other places, the Japanese industry claims that it is particularly valuable in the market for its aroma and taste. The big question facing the country right now is: How much wasabi will Japan be able to produce in the future?

Threatened over time. The Japanese wasabi industry has to deal with a complex problem: the passage of time. In a country with deep demographic problems and often presented as the oldest country on the planet, generational change in the fields is a challenge. Slides that farmer age could affect national wasabi production NikkeiIt also notes that the sector is experiencing a significant “puncture” in 2022: production of 1,635 tonnes indicates a 26% decline in five years.

The Business Research report warns that it is not easy to produce: it grows only in very specific geographical regions and seasons, and it can also be expensive to maintain: “High production costs may limit the supply of authentic wasabi and lead to higher prices expected to hinder market growth.”

Gastronomy and demography. The problem is so serious in 2022 New York Times He devoted an extensive report to the challenges facing wasabi crops in Japan, including, of course, the lack of generation change. The focus was on Shizuoka, one of the country’s largest producing areas, where demographic decline was already damaging crops. According to their calculations, in ten years the amount of wasabi produced there has decreased noticeably: around 55%.

sense of crisis. Hiroyuki Mochizuki, president of a historical company dedicated to the production of wasabi, admitted to the newspaper: “In order to preserve Japanese food culture, it is important to preserve wasabi.” The demographic problem is actually not specific to plantations of this plant appreciated on Japanese tables.

A study on the subject was published in the respected journal in 2021. Nature I have already given a warning to sailors. “More than 60% of the agricultural population in Japan is over the age of 65,” the report warned. “The rapid aging of the agricultural society in Japan will not only reduce the country’s percentage of self-sufficiency in terms of food, but will also lead to low rates of agricultural domestication and hence reduction in revenue collection”.

A bigger challenge. Demographic winter isn’t the only challenge facing Japanese wasabi. Those dedicated to cultivating this plant have been warning for some time about the effects of climate change and how vulnerable the fields, which are often located along streams in narrow valleys, are.

For example, in 2019, eastern Japan suffered the impact of a typhoon that reduced production in the Okutama region by almost 70%. In addition to the risk of storms, rising temperatures also make plants more susceptible to mold and rot, exposing them to temperatures well above the limit considered suitable for their proper growth.

Another challenge is the cedar and Japanese cypress forests planted in the mountains during the post-war logging policy. “People talk about climate change and less water, but the real problem is the hills don’t hold water long enough,” says retired Australian journalist David Hulme, who grows wasabi in Okutama.

Image | Regina Anaejion (Unsplash)

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