Champagne — real champagne, as opposed to, say, sham champagne — only comes from a very specific region in France, produced using very specific and controlled methods.

香槟——我是說地道的香槟，而非假冒僞劣山寨貨——隻有法國特定地區能生産，釀制方法繁雜又精細。

The same thing sort of applies to wasabi（山葵，芥末醬）. That tasty add-on to sushi（壽司）, the green condiment-like spread with a bite?

山葵的情況與之非常相似。那抹在壽司上的美味醬料、一口咬下去的綠色調味醬就是山葵嗎？

It's a kind of horseradish（辣根）, and what you're eating might very well be exactly that: horseradish.

山葵是辣根的一種，而你吃的很可能正是辣根。

The BBC relates that wasabia japonica is incredibly difficult to grow anywhere but where it's found naturally: in specific areas of Japan.

BBC指出，日本山葵除了在其自然生長的日本特定地區之外，很難在别的地方種植。

In the wild, wasabi grows exclusively（專有地） on the rocky banks of cold, freshwater rivers.

在野外，山葵隻生長在岩質河岸邊，且流經的淡水河的水溫要低。

The plants are as finicky as pandas: the water has a temperature range of only about 9 degrees; sun is important, but not too much sun.

這種植物像熊貓一樣挑剔：水溫的波動範圍不能超過9度；光照至關重要，但不能過多。

All of the care, and feeding, and nurturing will produce a crop after about 18 months — that is, if everything really is just right.

要像這樣精心照料約18個月，才能有收成。也就是說，所有條件都必須剛剛合适才能有收成。

There are farms in Japan, China, Australia, and even a few in North America that try to produce it commercially. But it ain't easy.

日本、中國、澳大利亞乃至北美的一些農場都試圖将其商業化生産。但這并不簡單。

On the other hand, the rewards are nothing to sneeze at. At least one Canadian company gets better than $70/pound, and demand far outstrips supply.

另一方面，山葵的價格不容小觑。至少有一家加拿大公司出價超過了每磅70美元，而且還供不應求。

As for that packet of tasty green paste that came in your box of sushi? Probably not actually wasabi — not even in Japan.

至于你壽司盒裡那管美味的綠色醬料？它大概率不是山葵，甚至不是日本産的。

Huffington Post reports that most commercial wasabi found in restaurants is actually a concoction of horseradish, mustard, and food coloring.

據《赫芬頓郵報》報道，大部分餐館的 “芥末” 實際上都是辣根、芥末和食用色素的混合物。

山葵（wasabi）是由日本山葵的根狀莖研磨而成，顔色呈淡綠色。芥末（mustard）來自芥菜的種子芥菜籽，呈黃色；辣根（horseradish）即馬蘿蔔，其根部為白色，是制作青芥辣的原料。山葵、辣根和芥末是 “同父異母” 的兄弟，同屬十字花科，但山葵的種植條件十分苛刻，産量極低，價格十分昂貴。頂級壽司店用的 “芥末” 是現磨的新鮮山葵，而餐桌上常見的 “芥末” 是青芥辣。

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