The cultivation of wasabi (Eutrema japonicum), a brassica native to Japan that is widely used in the kitchen, is proving successful in Italy for the first time. According to Japanese tradition, the grated rhizome is used to accompany raw fish, sushi and sashimi in particular, but the leaves are also fried in tempura and the stems are used for making the traditional kizami.
This cultivation, which has always been closely linked to Japan, is now also taking place at the L'Orto di Mimì farm in the Brescia province, set up by chef Antonio D'Angelo and recently awarded as the best certified organic 'Japanese Farm' in Europe.
Antonio D'Angelo
Talking about this successful project is D'Angelo himself who, supported from a technical-scientific point of view by his collaborator Andrea Tessadrelli, explains how, on an agronomic level, wasabi is one of the most difficult crops in the world. Over 15 months pass between planting and the first harvest, which greatly increases the risks involved in production. On our farm, which saw the light of day four years ago, the first harvest partially took place in 2022 with a taste identical to the Japanese original, yet initially with some differences in colour and epidermis due to the excessive heat."
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The special wasabi cultivation technique
Producing wasabi in Italy seemed an impossible task at first, but Tessadrelli took up D'Angelo's challenge. "We recreated an environment similar to the Japanese one from scratch, in the heart of the Po Valley, with a stream of water, stones and shade in order to simulate but, above all, to adapt and improve on a local scale, all the optimal growing conditions, including constantly flowing water at a controlled temperature and trees to reduce solar radiation, creating wind currents with a thermal cooling function."
The added value of Orto di Mimì was to focus on know-how and scientific research right from the start, focusing on the plants that demonstrated the best characteristics from an agronomic and nutritional point of view.
Tessadrelli adds that "from my first day in this company, I have always been convinced that you cannot replicate an exotic crop without investing in research and breeding. Therefore, from the very beginning, I worked on a natural genetic mutant, i.e. a variety that can adapt and thrive even at our latitudes. To achieve this goal, we have crossed and improved several varieties over the years. We have now reached the stage of worldwide registration of Fant1, a unique hybrid that is resistant up to 40° Celsius and boasts abundant, opaque foliage and a rhizome with a good specific weight, owned exclusively by D'Angelo."
He concludes: "The company already has four years of intensive research and development behind it, with a lot of investments made to try and get the first results. For the first transplant, we bought rhizomes directly from Japan, but now we are proud to have our own variety to grow and propagate, with constant attention to varietal improvement. We are only at the beginning and we are very confident, knowing that we have reached a goal that was previously unimaginable."
For more information 
L'Orto di Mimì
Via Macina, 25030
Castel Mella (Brescia)
[email protected]
www.lortodimimi.com