Fresh, Plants & Seeds
What we grow and stock
We grow wasabi on our own farms in Dorset and Hampshire and are the first commercial wasabi growers in the UK. Our rhizomes (sometimes called wasabi roots) take around 18 months to reach harvest, and when you grate one, the flavour is immediate: a bright, peppery warmth that clears through the sinuses and fades into something almost sweet. The leaves, stems and delicate white flowers are all edible too, carrying a softer, greener version of that same heat. If you've only ever tried the paste from a tube, expect a completely different experience.
Alongside wasabi, we stock a range of Japanese plants suited to UK gardens and conservatories. Our citrus trees include yuzu, which is tart, floral and intensely aromatic, along with finger limes, shikuwasa, buddha's hands and Japanese lemon trees. Sansho pepper trees produce the tingly, numbing peppercorns used across Japanese and Sichuan cooking, and our shiso plants give you the broad, aromatic herb that lifts sashimi platters and summer rice bowls. We also carry myoga ginger plants, edamame beans, Japanese squash varieties and wasabi seeds, all suited to UK growing conditions and ready to plant at home.
Why fresh ingredients taste different
If you've cooked with supermarket ginger and bottled yuzu juice, the difference when you use the real thing is striking. Split a yuzu open and it fills the room. It's a sharp Japanese citrus with a floral, almost pine-like edge that ordinary lemons can't match. Japanese ginger, sliced thin, has a clean snap and a warmth that lingers just behind the tongue. And fresh wasabi, grated straight from the rhizome onto a plate of sashimi, has none of the harsh, one-note burn of the imitation paste you'll find in most restaurants. The heat arrives, blooms briefly, then clears.
And it's this contrast that makes these ingredients worth growing at home or buying fresh. Our plants and produce are seasonal, so availability changes through the year. If you can't find what you're after, sign up for email alerts on any product page and we'll let you know when it's back in stock. We also carry Niwaki garden tools including their well-made Japanese secateurs, snips and shears. Helping you to keep everything tended once it's in the ground.
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Get inspired with some recipes
Creamy Hojicha Ice Cream (Japanese Roasted Green Tea) Recipe
This creamy, custard-based ice cream recipe by Yuto from Sudachi is flavoured with the toasty depth of roasted Japanese hojicha...
Mirin Glazed Salmon Recipe
This must be the fastest way there is to create a culinary sensation. You do scarcely a thing — just...
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Traditionally used in Japan to glaze and flavour fish, teriyaki sauce is wonderfully versatile. Try this classic four-ingredient base recipe,...
Creamy Hojicha Ice Cream (Japanese Roasted Green Tea) Recipe
This creamy, custard-based ice cream recipe by Yuto from Sudachi is flavoured with the toasty depth of roasted Japanese hojicha tea.
Mirin Glazed Salmon Recipe
This must be the fastest way there is to create a culinary sensation. You do scarcely a thing — just dibble some salmon steaks in a dark glossy potion, most of which you get out of a jar — and what you make tastes as if you had been dedicating half your life to achieving the perfect combination of sweet, savoury, tender and crisp.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
Traditionally used in Japan to glaze and flavour fish, teriyaki sauce is wonderfully versatile. Try this classic four-ingredient base recipe, ready for you to put your own spin on.