Visit Wakayama

Many people are familiar with wasabi as a small mound of green paste served together with sushi. In wasabizushi, a style of sushi unique to Aridagawa, wasabi is the star ingredient. Portions of vinegared rice are topped with fish or vegetables and wrapped in salt-pickled wasabi leaves that give each bite of sushi a mild spiciness. Alternatively, the sushi is topped only with a mix of grated wasabi root and flowers for a more intense flavor.

Wasabizushi is a form of the “quick sushi” (hayazushi) traditionally made in the Shimizu district of Aridagawa. Hayazushi is prepared by adding fish to vinegared rice and wrapping it in thick leaves, such as Japanese banana or the bamboo-like ase. The wrapping makes the sushi portable, and the leaves’ natural antibacterial properties keep the fish from spoiling. As a result, hayazushi became a popular item to bring on rice-planting workdays and to festivals and other social gatherings.

Wasabizushi was developed by a local chef who sought to create a specialty dish to represent Aridagawa’s agriculture. Inspired by the wasabi that grows wild in Aridagawa, he topped vinegared rice with a variety of produce from Wakayama Prefecture—such as Mazuma wasabi, sweetfish, stewed mountain vegetables, and sanshō pepper—and wrapped it in edible wasabi leaves. Many restaurants now offer this modern version, which has become a culinary symbol of Aridagawa.