双语科普：你吃的芥末不是真正的芥末

The Reason Wasabi Is One of the Hardest Plants to Grow

你吃的芥末不是真正的芥末

Champagne — real champagne, as opposed to, say, sham champagne — only comes from a very specific region in France, produced using very specific and controlled methods.

香槟——我是说隧道的香槟，而非假冒伪劣盗窟货——仅有法国特定地区能消费，酿制办法冗杂又精密。

The same thing sort of applies to wasabi（山葵，芥末酱）. That tasty add-on to sushi（寿司）, the green condiment-like spread with a bite?

山葵的情况与之十分相似。那抹在寿司上的鲜味酱料、一口咬下去的绿色彩味酱就是山葵吗？

It's a kind of horseradish（辣根）, and what you're eating might very well be exactly that: horseradish.

山葵是辣根的一种，而你吃的很约莫正是辣根。

The BBC relates that wasabia japonica is incredibly difficult to grow anywhere but where it's found naturally: in specific areas of Japan.

BBC指出，日本山葵除了在其天然生长的日本特定地区之外，很难在别的场合莳植。

In the wild, wasabi grows exclusively（专有地） on the rocky banks of cold, freshwater rivers.

在田野，山葵只生长在岩质河岸边，且流经的淡海河的水温要低。

The plants are as finicky as pandas: the water has a temperature range of only about 9 degrees; sun is important, but not too much sun.

这莳植物像熊猫一样挑剔：水温的动摇范围不克不及凌驾9度；光照至关紧张，但不克不及过多。

All of the care, and feeding, and nurturing will produce a crop after about 18 months — that is, if everything really is just right.

要像如此经心照料约18个月，才干有劳绩。也就是说，一切条件都必需刚刚切合才干有劳绩。

There are farms in Japan, China, Australia, and even a few in North America that try to produce it commercially. But it ain't easy.

日本、中国、澳大利亚致使北美的一些农场都试图将其商业化消费。但这并不简便。

On the other hand, the rewards are nothing to sneeze at. At least one Canadian company gets better than $70/pound, and demand far outstrips supply.

另一方面，山葵的价格不容小觑。最少有一家加拿大公司出价凌驾了每磅70美元，并且还求过于供。

As for that packet of tasty green paste that came in your box of sushi? Probably not actually wasabi — not even in Japan.

至于你寿司盒里那管鲜味的绿色酱料？它约莫率不是山葵，乃至不是日本产的。

Huffington Post reports that most commercial wasabi found in restaurants is actually a concoction of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring.

据《赫芬顿邮报》报道，大局部餐馆的 “芥末” 实践上都是辣根、芥末和食用色素的殽杂物。

山葵（wasabi）是由日本山葵的根状茎研磨而成，颜色呈淡绿色。芥末（mustard）来自芥菜的种子芥菜籽，呈黄色；辣根（horseradish）即马萝卜，其根部为白色，是制造青芥辣的质料。山葵、辣根和芥末是 “同父异母” 的兄弟，同属十字花科，但山葵的莳植条件十分苛刻，产量极低，价格十分昂贵。顶级寿司店用的 “芥末” 是现磨的新颖山葵，而餐桌上稀有的 “芥末” 是青芥辣。