Can raw fish be sterilized when dipped in wasabi?

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When people eat sashimi, they will definitely eat it with wasabi. In addition to the transient burning sensation in the nose, it seems safer to eat sashimi with wasabi. Many people think dipping sashimi into wasabi helps in killing all the bacteria found in the raw fish.

Is it true? No, wasabi can only suppress the bacteria, not kill them.

The real wasabi is made from the rhizome of the wasabia japonica plant. It is quite expensive. Most restaurants use fake wasabi, which is in fact made from a blend of horseradish, mustard flour, cornstarch and green food colorant.

Wasabi and horseradish are spicy, and they both contain isothiocyanates, which has been proven to inhibit the growth of bacteria.

When we eat sashimi with wasabi, the growth rate of bacteria on the sashimi may slow down. However, the bacteria will still exist, only the speed of reproduction will slow down.

If you want to avoid bad stomach when eating sashimi, you can’t rely on wasabi. The freshness of the sashimi itself is the key. If the sashimi is not handled properly or preserved, the bacteria will exist on the sashimi, which may cause vomiting and diarrhea.

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