The Hot New Crop

In September I went to Hadlow College and saw Japanese Horseradish (Wasabi) plants in their trial grounds. The leaves had been rather munched by slugs or snails (but then what hasn’t this year? – and it is the root that is the important bit. It is ground up to make a paste to accompany sushi – although here, because it is so expensive, native horseradish that has been dyed green is often substituted . Then in Saturday’s Telegraph there was a feature about someone growing it commercially on his watercress farm. Apparently our cool, wet climate is ideal. Anyway, I wondered if plants are available anywhere – and they are from Poyntzfield Herbs on the Black Isle who specialise among other things in Japanese edible and medicinal herbs.

And thereby hangs another tale which will follow in the next post……………….