Wasabi is more than just a spicy green paste commonly served with sushi; it’s a culinary superstar that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves.
Often mistaken for plain horseradish mixed with mustard, authentic wasabi—known as Japanese horseradish—is a rare delicacy that is hard to come by outside of Japan.
Displaying a distinctive pale green hue and an intense, nasal heat, real wasabi can take between 12 to 18 months to mature and is best consumed fresh within 15 minutes of grating.
To highlight this exquisite ingredient, Paul Englert, the president of Forest Grove-based SakéOne, is hosting the inaugural WasabiFest PDX on Saturday, June 14, at The Redd in Southeast Portland.
The festival promises a day packed with tantalizing events, including curated tastings by SakéOne, cooking seminars led by notable chefs, and even knife demonstrations by Seisuke Knife.
Attendees can look forward to unique offerings such as vegan wasabi-infused ice cream from the team behind Kate’s Ice Cream.
One of the festival’s more adventurous attractions will be a wasabi eating contest, though Englert admits he won’t be partaking, even with prizes such as festival T-shirts and $100 Uwajimaya gift cards on the line.
As the day concludes, guests can indulge in a prestigious prix fixe dinner focusing on wasabi, with a price tag of $200 per person.
This curated menu will be prepared in collaboration with local culinary talents, including Jeff Kim of Zilla Sake, Kyle Christy from Street Disco, and celebrity chef Justin Woodward.
Englert emphasizes the parallels between wasabi and sake, stating, “We think of wasabi in very similar ways to sake.”
Both were once seen primarily as accompaniments to sushi but deserve recognition on their own.
Wasabi and sake share flavor profiles, offering sharp earthy notes and a delightful zing that makes them a perfect pairing.
Sake, a traditional Japanese rice beverage with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 13% to 17%, fills the space between red wine and spirits, enhancing the overall dining experience when complemented by wasabi.
Englert sees wasabi as a kindred spirit to sake, leading him to create a festival to celebrate both.
In addition to its culinary uses, wasabi has a rich medicinal history, known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
It has been utilized for thousands of years and commercially cultivated in Japan since the early Edo period.
Today, wasabi is predominantly grown in Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture, a region known for its clean water and ideal growing conditions, along with the colder climates of Yamagata and Nagano.
Englert notes an amusing irony—Portlanders may not realize how much they have in common with the wasabi plant, particularly when it comes to the rainy, windy climate that wasabi thrives in.
“When Markus Mead from Oregon Coast Wasabi described the weather conditions wasabi prefers, it sounded like how outsiders characterize Portland,” Englert humorously reflects.
Portland’s burgeoning sake scene, coupled with its status as home to Oregon Coast Wasabi—the largest wasabi farm outside Japan—makes it an ideal location for a celebration of both wasabi and sake.
Distributors even believe Portland leads the nation in per capita sake consumption, a statistic that highlights the city’s unique palate.
WasabiFest will also feature local artisans selling sake cups and delightful goodies from Stache Chocolate and Steven Smith Teamaker.
Attendees can enjoy entertainment that includes performances by a taiko drum group and a live set from Portland’s own The Shivas.
For those willing to brave the spicy heat, WasabiFest offers an exciting opportunity to experience wasabi in ways not usually explored, perfect for the adventurous palate.
image source from：https://www.wweek.com/drink/2025/06/03/wasabifest-pdx-celebrates-portlands-love-of-sake-and-japanese-horseradish/
