Wasabi is a spice with 211 known flavor compounds. Wasabi appears in 205 recipes, most commonly in sushi cuisine. Wasabi has no compounds unique to it in our source data — its profile is made up entirely of volatiles common across many foods, so we don't report a signature molecule or a top pairing for it.
Compounds ranked by rarity — the higher the score, the more distinctive to this ingredient.
Of the ~226 molecules that drive perceived food aroma (Dunkel et al. 2014), Wasabi's inventory contains 35. Most of the other 176 compounds are below detection threshold.
+ 23 more — showing top 12 by class and threshold.
Generalist = appears in >25% of foods (Maillard / fermentation products). Individualist = appears in <5% of foods (carries signature notes). Threshold values are in clean water — the actual perception threshold in a food matrix can differ substantially.
How Wasabi's 211 known compounds break down by aroma category. Percentages are of compounds with a known label.
8 of 211 are distinctive to wasabi — they appear in under 10% of foods. The remainder are the background most foods share.
Ordered by measured impact in wasabi — concentration against odour threshold where both are published, then by how distinctive the molecule is across the graph. Molecules measured here but not established as odorants sit below those that are.
Ranked by how often cooks actually use them together, across 453,403 recipes — the familiar answer first. Each pairing still carries its molecular score and shared-compound count; only the ORDER differs. Counts cover every characterised molecule the two ingredients have in common, not only the aroma-active ones, so they can exceed an ingredient’s aroma-compound count. For the chemistry-first view — where the surprising pairings live — see the molecular network below, the side-by-side comparison, or the Pairing Tool.
Limited data for this ingredient
Our sources don't yet contain a dedicated aroma analysis for wasabi. Its profile is built entirely from volatiles that are common across many foods, with none specific to it — so the ranking below reflects that shared background, not a distinct molecular match. Treat it as a placeholder until we have GC‑MS coverage for this ingredient.
Wasabi and its 10 closest compound-sharing relatives. Spoke thickness = shared compounds; circle size = that ingredient's own compound count. Drag to rearrange, scroll to zoom, click to open.
Compare Wasabi side-by-side
Drawn from PubMed + Europe PMC + food-science journals. Click any title to read the full abstract on the original source.
Spicy substances like chili pepper and wasabi can have both beneficial and adverse effects on human health. In particular, they may help to reduce salt intake and limit fat absorpt... Read abstract →
Strawberries are highly perishable despite their popularity, as their limited shelf life compromises both freshness and market value. The study investigated the effects of 1-methyl... Read abstract →
<i>Eutrema japonicum</i> is a perennial herb belonging to the <i>Eutrema</i> genus in the crucifer family. In recent years, numerous substances with notable pharmacological activit... Read abstract →
In this study, the distinctive chemical fingerprints that contribute to the flavor characteristics of various protein materials, such as insects, plant-based protein, and livestock... Read abstract →
Wall rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides) is a wild edible herb traditionally consumed in the Mediterranean regions with a characteristic, pungent flavour. However, little is known about... Read abstract →