Wasabi cultivation: where field and forest meet. I was very surprised over the weekend when some friends brought me to this wasabi field in my town. I've seen the spicy leafy greens of the wasabi plant in packages for sale at roadside stations and farmers' markets many times, but I had never seen how it grows. Apparently it likes the shade, and so this forest has the perfect conditions to cultivate the plants.

If you don't look at it from right angle, you might miss at a passing glance that this forest undergrowth was clearly planted on purpose.

The whole leafy part, including the flowers, is edible. The farmer at this wasabi forest field had us try some of it pickled. It was a bit like spinach or swiss chard with an added nose-running sensation.

So what do you think: Is this a wasabi field or a wasabi forest?