For those who enjoy the spicier things in life, wasabi may be on your list of favorite condiments. This pungent, spicy, green paste can most often be found served with sushi or sashimi, but it can also be used in dressings, sauces, or consumed with fish or other meats. Much of what we consume in our local Asian-inspired restaurants is not 100% wasabi, but instead a blend of horseradish, mustard, food coloring. Because many condiments, sauces, and dressing can contain added sugar or starches that increase the total carbohydrate content, some may wonder if wasabi is safe to consume while following a ketogenic diet.
Wasabi is a keto-friendly condiment, whether it is 100% wasabi or a blend of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring. While it does contain some carbohydrate, a typical serving of wasabi does not contain enough carbohydrates to kick you out of ketosis. Some keto wasabi alternatives include Frank’s RedHot Sauce, Silver Spring Prepared Horseradish, and House Foods Neri Karashi.
In this article we’ll discuss a brief overview of wasabi, review its nutritional profile, keto status, and offer several alternatives to traditional wasabi. Let’s dig in!
Contents
What is Wasabi?
Wasabi is essentially Japanese horseradish. It is derived from the stem of the Wasabia Japonica plant. It is generally a paste or powdered consistency that boasts a bright green color and characteristically sharp, spicy flavor. It is a staple in Japanese cuisine, especially sushi and noodle dishes. Because cultivating the Wasabia Japonica plant is extremely difficult, ‘real’ wasabi is an expensive commodity. As a result of its expensive nature, much of the wasabi we consume is not real wasabi. Instead, it is a mix of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring that offer nearly identical flavor experiences to real wasabi.
Different Varieties of Real Wasabi
Real wasabi comes in three different forms – wasabi paste, wasabi powder, or wasabi rhizome. Wasabi paste is typically packaged in a squeeze tube and should be purchased frozen to preserve freshness. Powdered wasabi is typically less expensive than the paste and rhizome varieties. It is generally freeze-dried and sold in jars. Lastly, wasabi rhizome is essentially raw wasabi that you must grate yourself. This is one of the freshest forms of real wasabi that you can purchase and, as such, provides the most authentic wasabi flavor.
Proposed Health Benefits of Wasabi
Although real wasabi is expensive and oftentimes hard to come by, it has been reported that it could provide some benefit to our health. The extract from wasabi has shown in some studies to have antibacterial characteristics. Specifically, it proved most effective against two of the most common types of bacteria that cause food poisoning. against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, wasabi may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties as a result of its main active compounds, ITCs, or isothiocyanates.
Is Wasabi Keto-Friendly?
All foods, condiments, sauces, etc. can, in theory, fit into a ketogenic diet as long as serving size is taken into consideration. Wasabi is no exception. It does contain some carbohydrate, but a typical serving of wasabi would not provide enough carbohydrate to pose any concern.
To put things into perspective, for an individual to get into ketosis, it is recommended that one consumes between 20-30 grams of net carbohydrate per day. With wasabi only providing approximately 1 gram of carbohydrate per teaspoon, the risk of overconsumption of carbohydrate from wasabi is extremely low. Because of this, wasabi can be enjoyed by those following a ketogenic diet.
Nutritional Profile of Wasabi
Wasabi is derived from a plant and is actually a part of the cruciferous family like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. It is relatively low in calories, fat, carbohydrate, and offers little to no protein. While in its most natural form, wasabi is low in sodium. However, many pre-prepared wasabi paste varieties contain large amounts of sodium.
Sushi Sonic 100% Real Wasabi Powder
Ingredients:
- 100% Wasabi (Wasabia Japonica)
Nutritional Information (per 1 teaspoon):
- Calories: 5
- Total Fat: 0
- Sodium: 95mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Alternative Options
If you don’t have real wasabi handy or just don’t want to fork out the cash for this expensive condiment, never fear! There are a slew of different alternative options available that won’t break the bank and are keto-friendly.
Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce
This hot sauce perhaps doesn’t provide the same pungent flavor as wasabi, but still offers a similar spice for those heat seekers. It also contains zero grams of carbohydrate, making it completely keto-friendly. Frank’s RedHot Sauce makes an excellent option for those who can’t find wasabi, don’t have any, or don’t want to spend the money on real wasabi.
Ingredients:
- Aged Cayenne Red Peppers
- Distilled Vinegar
- Water
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
Nutritional Information (per 1 teaspoon):
- Calories: 0
- Total Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
House Foods Neri Karashi
While this product contains a bit more in the way of added ingredients, it still offers a low carbohydrate, low calorie alternative to wasabi. Karashi has been said to have an extremely similar pungency and spice to wasabi, but having a similar taste to Western yellow mustard. Despite the added ingredients, this product is keto-friendly and can be consumed without worry by those following a ketogenic diet.
Ingredients:
- Mustard
- Rapeseed Oil
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Sorbitol
- Aluminum Potassium Sulfate
- Spice Extract
- Alcohol
- Xanthan Gum
Nutritional Information (per 0.1 ounce):
- Calories: 0
- Total Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Silver Spring Prepared Horseradish
It’s no surprise that horseradish made our list for great wasabi substitutes. This condiment is very similar to wasabi in regards to taste and spice, hence why it is used in many wasabi paste blends. Horseradish is low calorie and low-carbohydrate, and can easily be incorporated into a ketogenic diet.
Ingredients:
- Horseradish
- Vinegar
- Water
- Salt
- Natural Flavor
Nutritional Information (per 1 teaspoon):
- Calories: 5
- Total Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Main Takeaways
Wasabi is a staple in Japanese cuisine and has been around for many centuries. It is essentially Japanese horseradish and is derived from the stem of the Wasabia Japonica plant. Wasabi is a part of the cruciferous family and as such, may offer some health benefits such as antibacterial/antimicrobial effects, provides anti-inflammatory compounds, may offer anti-cancer properties, and may also impact brain and bone health.
Wasabi typically comes in either a powdered or paste form. It has a characteristically sharp, pungent, and spicy flavor. Because harvesting the Wasabia Japonica plant can be difficult, pure wasabi is an expensive commodity. Because of this, many restaurants in the United States serve a blend of mustard, horseradish, and food coloring.
Wasabi is a keto-friendly condiment whether it is 100% wasabi or a blend of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring. Some wasabi alternatives include Frank’s RedHot Sauce, Silver Spring Prepared Horseradish, and House Foods Neri Karashi.
Related Questions
Is Wasabi vegan?
Yes! Wasabi is derived from a plant and is therefore considered vegan-friendly. Even pre-prepared wasabi paste is vegan-friendly as it generally does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Is Wasabi Paleo?
In its most natural form, yes, wasabi is Paleo-compliant. However, the blended versions of wasabi paste that often do not contain any wasabi at all, may not be Paleo-friendly. Sometimes, these blended pastes contain starch and food coloring, which would land them on the “do-not-eat” list for those following the Paleo dietary approach.
How did Wasabi come about?
It is believed that a Japanese farmer discovered wasabi hundreds of years ago. It was shown to a Japanese warlord of the time period and he loved wasabi so much that he declared it a national treasure. Japanese cultivation of wasabi dates all the way back to the 10th century.