This Captivating Video Portrays the Pains of Cultivating Real Wasabi

Real wasabi is not the horseradish paste you may often come across in restaurants Stateside, but the capricious plant is painstakingly difficult to cultivate. Thanks to the folks over at Great Big Story, viewers can get a thorough walkthrough of how wasabi is meticulously cared for and grown at the Daio Wasabi Farm in Hokata, Japan. The three-minute video profiles several workers who offer fascinating takeaways of the “most difficult plant in the world to farm commercially.” Production adviser Shigetoshi explained that “if your [wasabi] harvest fails, you are done for the season — you cannot grow anything else for a year and a half.”

Real wasabi tastes more fresh, cleaner and smoother than its green imposter that has a sweltering aftertaste. Watch the clip above and let us know which one you prefer.