It Turns Out The Wasabi You've Been Eating Your Entire Life Is Probably Fake

There are a lot of reasons I have trust issues, most of which revolve around food.

My skepticism with snacks all started back in the day when I took a bite out of an unsuspecting chocolate chip cookie, only to discover it was a cruel oatmeal cookie imposter. Since then, things have kind of spiraled out of control, and I think it's safe to say food can't be fully trusted nowadays.

This is especially true in regard to sushi.

Yep, if you love stuffing your face with these scrumptious, seaweed-wrapped snacks, you might want to put down the chopsticks and brace yourself. It turns out, there might be something fishy going on with your favorite spicy sushi topping.

That's right, a YouTube video was recently published by the American Chemical Society, in which the senior editor of Chemical & Engineering News, Sarah Everts, revealed the shocking truth behind your beloved green condiment.

There's a good chance your precious and so-called "wasabi" isn't wasabi at all. I know, I felt pretty betrayed, too.

According to Everts,

The wasabi most of us have eaten is a mix of European horseradish, hot mustard and green dye.

In the video, she explains the reason for this is that real wasabi is pretty hard to cultivate, not to mention insanely expensive. One stem can cost as much as $50.

Everts also unleashed the mind-blowing truth about what real wasabi tastes like, stating,

Wasabi flavors start floating away as soon as they're released. The taste apocalypse you were hoping for is barely a boot to the head.

So yeah, unless you've actually seen a sushi chef grate some fresh wasabi right before your eyes, you've probably been eating "wasabi" that's really just a big, fat, horseradish-filled lie.

Check out the video to see the truth behind what you're putting on your sushi:

Citations: So, that *might* not actually be wasabi you're having with your sushi (Hello Giggles)