Dublin’s Too Savage, proud producers of Ireland’s only plant-based range of mayonnaises, have added a hot new first of its kind condiment to their line-up – a premium 100% natural Wasabi Mayo that is guaranteed to liven up your mealtimes.
The Northside brand’s fiercely tasty plant-based Wasabi Mayo, handmade using quality sustainably grown Irish wasabi from Co. Kilkenny, is vegan friendly, gluten-free, low in sugar (containing zero added sugar and less than 0.7g of naturally occurring sugars per 100g), and completely free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives. Individual 195g jars, priced at €5.95 each, can be found on the shelves of leading independent cafés and food stores across the country. These include the likes of Arán Artisan Bakery & Bistro (Kilkenny city), Asia Market (Drury Street, Dublin 2 and Ballymount, Dublin 12), Fallon & Byrne (Exchequer Street, Dublin 2), Firecastle (Kildare Town), Lilliput Stores (Stoneybatter, Dublin 7), PAX Whole Foods (Westport, Co. Mayo), The Good Neighbour (Dundrum, Dublin 14), and The Wellness Pantry (Bundoran, Co. Donegal).
And, Gift Sets containing all four flavours from Too Savage’s premium plant-based range – a 195g jar of its new Wasabi Mayo, plus 250g jars of their original Spicy Mayo, Curry Mayo, and Smoked Garlic Mayo – can be purchased online via their website, www.toosavage.ie, for nationwide home delivery. Priced at €28.00 each including postage, these tasty four-packs are sure to prove fiercely popular this Christmas.
Produced Using Sustainably Grown Irish Wasabi
Committed to sourcing quality local ingredients and with nature at the heart of everything the brand does, Too Savage’s Founder, Conor Bacon, was passionate about producing a premium plant-based Wasabi Mayo that is completely authentic in both flavour and aroma. That meant avoiding the use of faux ‘wasabi’ paste bulked out with horseradish and artificial colours/E-numbers, as is commonplace.
He set about searching for the “real deal” and hit gold when he was introduced to internationally recognised innovator in the rare plants industry, Pat Fitzgerald, from Beotanics – a plant-based food and crop development enterprise in Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny, and Ireland’s only commercial grower of wasabi.
The distinctive plant is notoriously difficult to grow outside of its native Japan. So, eight years ago, Fitzgerald undertook an exploratory trial to try and grow a premium quality Midori strain of the plant from Japanese breeding lines in Stoneyford using seeds he sourced while visiting an 11th generation wasabi farming family in the village of Utogi – the international heritage site for wasabi.
Fast forward to 2023, and with the project to successfully and sustainably grow wasabi using organic production methodologies in the Irish climate for commercial scale cultivation now complete, Fitzgerald’s farm has started to supply a small number of restaurants and food producers, including Too Savage.
100% Natural Ingredients
Opting to use Beotanics’ vibrant green wasabi powder as opposed to their renowned rhizomes – the expensive roots of the plant which, when grated, produce fresh wasabi paste – has enabled Too Savage to develop a premium plant-based Wasabi Mayo that is not only authentic, but affordable too.
Combining this with a blend of other quality 100% natural ingredients including rapeseed oil, sea salt, mustard powder, white wine vinegar, and xanthan gum, delivers a dip with a piquant flavour and an unmistakable mild wasabi heat.
Serving Suggestions
Too Savage’s new Wasabi Mayo is the ideal accompaniment to sushi or your favourite seafood dishes, pushing traditional sauces like tartare aside as your new condiment of choice.
It’s also delicious spread on sandwiches, paired with the likes of tempura vegetables, or served as a dip for plant-based bites like deep-fried tofu ‘chicken’ balls – one of Founder Conor Bacon’s favourite go-to snacks.
Nutritional And Health Benefits of Consuming Wasabi As Part Of Your Diet
Wasabi contains a high-concentration of glucosinolates which are converted to isothiocyanates (ITCs) when the root stem is grated in a circular motion to create the distinctive vibrant paste. This is wasabi’s natural defence system in action, and where its antioxidant power comes from. The plant is also known to have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic properties, with research also currently being carried out into the ingredient’s believed enhancement of gut and brain functionality.
Where Did The Inspiration For Producing A Plant-based Wasabi Mayo Come From?
Too Savage’s Founder, Conor – from North Strand in Dublin – had been cooking and creating plant-based foods for his own personal consumption and general interest for many years before he took the plunge and founded the business towards the end of 2020, during the height of the pandemic.
His first product, the brand’s original Spicy Mayo AKA ‘the side dish seducer’, came as a direct result of exploring his kitchen curiosity having struggled to find an appealing and innovative plant-based mayo on the shelves in his native Dublin, and further afield.
Having experimented with creating a Wasabi Mayo from his home kitchen to start with, for his Brazilian wife, Tarsyla – a Sushi Chef who worked under a famous Sushi Master named André Saburo Matsumoto in her hometown of Recife – to enjoy, Bacon has spent the last few months developing his plant-based version ready for retail release.
The vegan-friendly condiment is targeted at flexitarians; sustainably conscious consumers who are actively looking to reduce their meat and dairy consumption, but who still want to enjoy flavoursome, healthy food that’s free from additives, and low in sugar.
Production of Too Savage’s range of plant-based condiments, which also includes a Spicy Mayo, Curry Mayo, and a Smoked Garlic Mayo, takes place in the business’s commercial kitchen space in the SPADE Enterprise Centre in Smithfield, Dublin 7.
Commenting on the launch of the first of its kind plant-based Wasabi Mayo, Too Savage’s Founder, Conor Bacon, said:
“First and foremost, I’m thrilled to finally share the Wasabi Mayo with the wider public, but it’s important to me that people understand the amount of work and effort that went into growing the wasabi crop in Kilkenny in the first place. This product is more than just ingredients in a jar. More importantly, it’s the collaborative work and synergies from myself, who loves creating interesting plant-based sauces, and Pat Fitzgerald, who spent eight years trialling a near impossible crop to grow in the Irish climate. I love the fact that when people sit down to eat our Wasabi Mayo, they are actually enjoying a dollop of innovative Irish Wasabi that was 8 years in the making.”
