Now I might need to mention that I like hot and spicy foods. Dear Old Dad used to fry up jalapenos on the kitchen stove until everyone in the house was coughing and rubbing their eyes. This was his idea of fun. I must admit that I have a bit of that sadistic streak as well, it is a bit of fun to give someone a bite of Habenareo and watch their eyes light up. But Dad liked to eat the hot stuff and sweat a bit himself. So do I. Which bring me to the odd and wonderful combination of Japanese Wasabi and Cashew nuts. I find the Dan-D-Pak brand at Dollar Tree.
For the uninformed, wasabi goes with sushi. It is a bright green paste made from a very potent horseradish which is native to Japan. This is some pretty damned serious horseradish. We’re talking clear your sninews and gasp for breath if you get a bit too much at once. Which is what makes this hot snack so appealing.
The humble cashew is a fascinating nut all on it’s won right. It’s really a seed for one thing and the stories I have heard say that it grows in a fruit filled with some kind of acid, but it is more acidic than acid. Still, doesn’t sound very appealing does it? But I have always been a fan of cashews, as they were the Fancy part of Planter’s Fancy Nut Mix, which Mom always bought around Christmas and which was down to nothing but peanuts by the time our guests would arrive. I never really got that whole ‘it’s for our guests’ bit, but that’s another story.
Wasabi power on these cashews is just fine enough to float up the back of your throat and into your nose. Wow that is some rush. Wasabi sushi and wasabi peas and now wasabi cashews. There is even a Wasabi Ice Cream, but I have not had the good fortune to run across any of that yet. Cold and hot at the same time, hmm. I read about about a black pepper ice cream not too long ago, but that just sounds weird. Go to Amazon for a slightly higher class of Wasabi Cashews, and have something cold to drink close at hand.
