BDC Now: Your Wasabi is Probably Fake and That’s a Good Thing

By Doug Saffir

October 17, 2014

3 minutes to read

If you’re a big fan of the kick you get by downing some wasabi at your local sushi place, you should know that you’re probably not actually eating wasabi. Find out why that’s for the best in today’s BDC Now, and read more about a child dancer with actual talent, a $25,000 hot dog, and the new way you should be taking your shots at the bar.

The Wasabi is a Lie

It’s been just over a week since you found out that pumpkin spice is a lie, but hopefully you’ve recovered quickly from having your mind blown, because we have more bad news. It turns out that the little dollop of green stuff on your plate at the local sushi restaurant is not wasabi, like you’ve been led to believe. It’s just horseradish, mustard, and food coloring. And while that may be jarring, you can find some comfort knowing that you’re not alone. In fact, The Washington Post spoke to some sushi experts who say between 95 and 99 percent of the wasabi served is fake, even in Japan, the OG of sushi. The experts added that restaurants only use the fake stuff because real wasabi is so hard to harvest and ends up being incredibly expensive. If they went the extra mile, it would mean passing on a cost of $3 to $5 per ball to consumers. Five bucks for a ball of spicy, green mush? We’ll take the horseradish.

Forget Lil’ Swayze – This Kid is a Dancer

Two days ago there were more than a few people making a big deal out of an 8-year-old doing a mediocre impression of Patrick Swayze in “Dirty Dancing’’. We didn’t totally understand the fuss, but the kid was brave for doing it and showed some potential. Whatever. Now it’s Friday and there’s a new 8-year-old in town. His name is Aidan Prince and “Charlie The Swayze Impersonator’’ could learn a thing or two from this kid. We know this is a totally different style of dance, but Prince’s routine doesn’t just show potential, it shows talent. He totally kills it and successfully claims the title of “Only Child Dancer You Should be Talking About.’’ Plus, the video is actually filmed in horizontal, which is more than Charlie’s mom is capable of.

Want to Upgrade Your Hot Dog for Just $25,638.72?

How do you turn a $1.28 loss into a $25,640 loss? Fire a movie theater employee because he took an extra-large hot dog but only paid for a regular-sized one. Dublin, Ireland movie theater Cineworld did just that, then called the alleged theft “gross misconduct,’’ and then promptly got sued for unfair dismissal. The employee insisted it was an honest mistake, and guess who agreed with him: Ireland’s employment appeals court. So while he short-changed the movie theater exactly one Euro ($1.28), the true damage came in the settlement. We’re sure having to hand over a cool 20,000 Euros ($25,640) is making Cineworld reconsider whether they could have just swallowed the losses at the concession stand. It’s probably bad business decisions like this that make it so you can’t go to the movies without spending $40 on snacks.

It’s Friday, So Here’s a New Way to Take Your Shots Tonight

The great thing about inventors is that they look at something that seemingly doesn’t need any improvement, and they find a way to make it better. Take the shot, for example. Shots are great. They can be cringe-worthy, sure, but they get the job done in the most efficient manner possible. And even the worst tasting shots aren’t anything that a sweet chaser won’t solve. But what if someone found a way to make the shot-and-chaser routine that much more efficient? What if there was virtually zero time between alcohol hitting your tongue and alcohol being washed away by the soda or juice of your choice? Well, we’re all about to find out. Enter the Snapshotr, a new device that is revolutionizing the way we drink booze. It’s new and it won’t even be on Kickstarter until next month. In the meantime, you can watch a minute-long preview and demonstration already on YouTube and we have no apologies for already being excited about it.