Gorgeous photo. However, anyone who has worked with the sharkskin grater in Japan has been taught that the wasabi should be grated in a circular motion. That is part of the beauty of working in the Japanese kitchen, that so many of the basic techniques are determined.
Sharkskin Wasabi Grater
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Credit: André Baranowski
Sushi chefs in Japan swear by this tool: a piece of durable, rough-textured sharkskin that's mounted on a wooden paddle. They use it to grate the gnarly green wasabi root into a pungent paste that has a much finer consistency than what you can get with a regular grater or even a microplane. I found mine at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, and it is so easy to use. Just rub the root over the sharkskin and scrape off the paste that builds up on the paddle. Now I grate ginger, shallots, and garlic on it, too. —Megan Wyatt, Bainbridge Island, Washington
