Are you a wasabi pea addict? Can’t stop eating them? Can’t stop thinking about them? Me too! At least before this test… I wanted to find out which brand that had the best wasabi peas out there. I did not even know that there so many before I went to LA and visited a proper Japanese supermarket I found lots of different ones. Then I just knew I had to “sacrifice myself” in the name of science and do a test run of them all. It would be a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta to do it, right? (lucky this was not in Japan I guess…)

So - here is my verdict. As with the food from some sushi bars too; not all of them are worth eating! If someone bites into one of the bad ones the first time and generalizes based on that, then they are missing out on the good wasabi pea experience. Here are some pointers. I have put them in my preferred order.

BB Snacks Wasabi Green Peas - my favorite!

It is almost embarrasing to state my winner, because these were the wasabi peas that got me started. Maybe it is like with childhood memories, that life can’t seem to over go them with later experiences? I still think that these peas have the close to perfect balance between spicy, crunchy, taste and balance. They are a bit sticky when you get too eager and sweaty on your hands, but the wasabi mix in these guys just make you do the perfect wasabi face on the right occasions. They don’t have that overly green and fake-looking color like a lot of the other peas do either and the box is made of card board, not metal. The only drawback with these little friends are that they come packed to few in each can! Only 200g. The cans go by like ssswosh…. It is not a problem eating a whole box on your own… Or two. Iik. I think it is the sugar/honey part of it that makes the difference. It really is a yummy pea!

Ingredients: Green peas, glutinous rice flour, wheat flour, palm oil, sugar, honey, salt and sunflower oil, MSG, E102, E133

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Kasugai Wasabi Green Peas - good Japanese pea work!

This is a brand made in Japan. The reason they don’t get the top grade is because I think they are a bit too oily. Just a tad bit. Otherwise I find the flavor just spicy enough to make the random wasabi pea face once in a while. Have not seen this brand in Norway unfortunately, but at a couple of places in Japanese supermarkets in the US.

They are a clear runner up to the favorite! They come in two different packages, one half the size of this, which is good when bringing it in my bag somewhere. Also eating a whole big pack will give you a headache! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Ingredients: Green peas, wheat flour, glucose, palm oil, salt and artificial colour, FD & C blue # 1

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Khao Shong Wasabi Green Peas - crunchy and spicy!!

This is one of my favourites made in Thailand. They are very crunchy, but does not have exactly the right taste according to my inner Perfect Pea map. The box contains a lot, and opening the can make you feel like this box will last forever… It doesn’t. This brand also comes in boxes half the size - so good for a quick snack on the run! A drawback here is that the box is a tin can which is a bit unenvironmentally friendly.

Ingredients: Green Peas, Glutinous Rice Flour, Wheat Flour, Palm Oil, Sunflour Oil, Sugar, Horseradish(Wasabi), Salt, FD&C Yellow No.5, FD&C Blue No.1(E102 And E133)

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Hapi Wasabi Peas - joy, joy

These are good as well. This ones are also made in Thailand, and I have a feeling that Hapi is just a different name for the Khao Shong peas. They come in two size packs, 9.9 oz. and 4.9 oz and the. I guess it is not very environmentally friendly to pack them in a tin can, though. We should do our best at try and reuse them. The small ones can be reused for storing small rubber bands and stuff.

Ingredients: Green peas, glutinous rice flour, wheat flour, palm oil, sunflower oil, sugar, horseradish, salt, FD&C Yellow #5 & Blue #1.

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Umeya Wasabi Peas - not good enough

A bit disappointed here. They’re quite crisp, with a crunch and medium heat, but were too salty for my taste. The peas themselves was overly green and you felt like you were eating something unreal. The wasabi was also not covering the pea, but just in blotches scattered onto each one. They did not give a good feeling in my mouth. (Oh dear - I have skills within the area of the characteristics of having a wasabi pea in my mouth. It is a niche skill set, I must say…. Wonder if that will do well on my CV?)

Ingredients: Green Peas, Wheat Flour, Glucose, Palm Oil, Salt, Wasabi (Lactose, Suagr, Monosodium Glutamate, Shrimp Powder, Artificial Wasabi Flavor) and Artificial Color, FD&C Yellow No. 5 and FD&C Blue No. 1″

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Mishima Hot Wasabi Green Peas - spicy and fake!

These were spicy and plasticy in both taste and feeling. They both had a weird color and smell from what I was used to and some of them were way too spicy. Not a favorite! Don’t have the ingredients on this one.

Ingredients: Sorry, did not record them. Threw away the box before I thought about it. It probably has green peas, wheat flour, glucose, palm oil, salt, wasabi and the additional artificial flavors as well.

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Marukai Wasabi Peas - disappointing

I had high hopes for this brand, it being Japanes and all. It is the Marukai Supermarkets own brand of Wasabi Peas, so I thought they should know their peas. But not so! These were just completely wrong. Too shiny, oily and just in general the wrong taste! It says on the bag that they bear the symbol of great quality, but on my perfect pea scale they do terrible. This was one of the few bags I could hardly have a handful of peas from.

Ingredients: Green Peas, Wheat Flour, Potato Starch, Sugar, Soy Sauce, Horseradish, Soybean oil, spice, Monosodium Glutamate, FD&C Yellow No. 5 Sodium Carbonate” (written based on a really bad image, so I am not completely sure about this).

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Davis Lewis - Roasted and salted Wasabi Peas - don’t touch these!

Bought in a Mexican supermarket and was very skeptical about these. But - I am on a mission and when I see some wasabi peas it my duty to pick it up. These did not taste like wasabi peas at all. The consistency was crunchy and it had some of the spicyness to it, but it just was not right. I could not nearly finish this bag. It ended it’s life in an airport trash can after first taking over my entire computer bag! Not only did they taste bad, they

Ingredients:

Score on the Perfect Pea Scale:

Summary:

I like wasabi peas. I like having to put myself through this review part, and I am partially sad the tasting bit is over… But. So it goes. The Thai and the Japanese are the best wasabi pea makers out there, so look for origin Japan or Thailand when going out to get your wasabi pea fix!

Now I would love to hear about your testing experience. What is YOUR favorite wasabi pea brand?