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favorite Get spicy without chili peppers?

Doctor Scoville

Doctor Scoville

What would you grow to spice up your world if chili would not be an option?

I'm thinking of a sechuan pepper tree. They are supposed to get spice berry which can be dried en powdered.

also wasabi root but not the most appealing plant.

What would you have?
 
Each of those would be high on my list to consider, though when I've looked into them before they didn't seem too practical in my case. Same with piper nigrum. If chilis weren't an option, I'd have more time for them and might be inclined to make the effort.
 
I like the four different colors of black pepper (white, black, green and red) and real wasabi (grating the root, only found in Japan). But I read that wasabi is very hard to grow, it needs specific environments.
I don't like very much szechuan pepper's taste, horseradish and mustard.... working with mustard seeds it's not practical.
So I would probably try growing a black pepper plant. Or just mini bell peppers 🙂
 
SatanicFlatIron said:
I like the four different colors of black pepper (white, black, green and red) and real wasabi (grating the root, only found in Japan). But I read that wasabi is very hard to grow, it needs specific environments.
I don't like very much szechuan pepper's taste, horseradish and mustard.... working with mustard seeds it's not practical.
So I would probably try growing a black pepper plant. Or just mini bell peppers 🙂
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Wasabi is hard to grow. It’s like a semi-aquatic plant, or something.
I once met some guys growing it commercially in Half Moon Bay, CA. They had an estuary-like setting built in a greenhouse and they delivered to top tier restaurants in SF. Here they are: https://hmbwasabi.com/

I asked why no one was copying them and they just laughed, “good luck!”

They let me take one root home and told me how to prepare it. It was delicious. But that first grating released some fumes that reached the sinuses in the back of my head! After that, it was still potent but superior to anything I’ve ever had.
 
salsalady said:
CHeck out the wasabi store in oregon.
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Thanks, nice to see that they are growing it elsewhere! Found in Iceland too.
Years ago I recall some spanish pioneer guys researching and trying to grow wasabi in Catalonia (debunking a sort of "myth"). Website found!
BTW, I have some doubts about the powder, because once grated it quickly loses its aroma.
PurpPepp said:
I asked why no one was copying them and they just laughed, “good luck!”

They let me take one root home and told me how to prepare it. It was delicious.
Click to expand...
In Japan I was very impressed: depending on where you grate the root (white or green part) the spiciness progressively changes. You can reach a perfect point, according to what you need in your dish; even adding just a delicate fresh note.
 
There is some reasonable powder out there. I tend to freeze a horseradish root. They can be grated while frozen. This keeps the freshness, your not looking for crush in this case anyway. My guess is wasabi might freeze the same but never got hold of fresh wasabi.
 
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