Weak wasabi

So tell me what you think about wasabi.

Tonight's sushi dinner left me mildly unfulfilled, partially because I was still a little hungry after polishing off our platter. I couldn't figure out the other reason until just now: the wasabi was too weak.

Wasabi was meant to have a kick. It supposedly has all kinds of properties. No, don't say it... "oh, yeah! It clears out my sinuses." Har-dee-har-har. Ugh. Everybody says that without really knowing what it means. But I digress. To wasabi have been attributed properties most miraculous, from the antibacterial to the aphrodisiac to the anticarcinogenic. I don't know if I believe them (yeah, yeah, isothiocyanates, bla bla bla), but I do know wasabi is supposed to have flavor. A good flavor, not just a strong painful sensation.

Please, no stories about how once you tried wasabi and you were surprised and it made tears come out of your eyes. Yawn. Tell me something novel. Something, I don't know, interesting. Go ahead. I challenge you.

In the meantime, I'll keep on grousing about the weak wasabi substitute we got served tonight.