Kinome and Sansho: Beyond Wasabi

If you want to try sushi with something beyond wasabi, kinome and sansho are for you.

Kinome is the leaf of the prickly ash. This plant is native to eastern North America and has prickly twigs and folliage similar to the unrelated ash tree. Itamaes use the young leaves as a decoration and edible condiment. They taste like a combination of mint, basil, and a hint of anise. It goes well with any nigiri and replaces wasabi as a condiment. Eat only a tiny leaf at a time or its flavor will overwhelm everything else.

Sansho are the peppercorns of the kinome plant. Bite half of one before eating delicate morsels of sushi (i.e. hamachi, tai, suzuki, waloo, etc.) and wait a couple of minutes before you put the fish in your mouth. The sansho peppercorn (or berry as some itamaes call it) will explode in flavor, almost numbing your tastebuds, but then it'll create a tingling sensation on your tongue and palate. Eat the sushi when the tingling starts. The best wasabi taste won't come close to how delicious sushi with sansho is.

Sansho and kinome have similar medicinal properties to wasabi. It's used as an antibacterial and for anti-candidiasis. It's known to reduce swelling and it's thought to aid in dealing with colds and coughs. (eugeneciurana)


See also : burger king, sate