It is generally said that wasabi has a stronger pungent taste at the top (with stems and leaves) than at the bottom (tip). However, "wasabi" is a plant that grows upward, so the lower part is younger and fresher with older cells and stems and leaves.
In other words, the upper one is softer, has a strong aroma, stickiness, and a beautiful green color.
It often is recommended to use it from the top, but Watanabe recommends grating little by little from the bottom. To grate wasabi, remove the stems attached one by one from the outside, remove the entire mud with a scrub, wash it well with water, and then slowly knead it with a fine grater (draw the letter "no").
TIP: If you put a little sugar on the grating part of the wasabi and grate it, the pungency will increase!
The Watanabe Farm in Shizuoka Prefecture, famous for their wasabi.
