EMEA Entrepreneur. Ragnar Atli Tómasson and Johan Sindri Hansen, Co-Founders of Jurt Hydroponics, and their first product – Nordic Wasabi. The inspirational and entrepreneurial journey of two engineering students from Iceland, Europe has paved the way for Nordic Food Producers by growing and harvesting a hard-to-grow agricultural crop – “The Wasabi Japonica”. They named their first product as fresh “Nordic Wasabi”, grown sustainably using Iceland’s renewable energy resources like water, air, geothermal energy, and electricity. With the integration of high-end technology like Hydroponics and high-tech Greenhouses, Jurt Hydroponics and Nordic Wasabi together adopt the “New Nordic Food Manifesto” – prioritizing “Purity, Freshness, Simplicity, and Sustainable Production.” The co-founders Ragnar and Johan founded Jurt Hydroponics in 2015, in Reykjavik, Iceland, and its sister company Nordic Wasabi. Since then, the entrepreneurs have grown their business tenfold setting the standard in sustainable agriculture and food production, standing at the forefront of exporting fresh and authentic Nordic Wasabi produced in Europe. 

Ragnar Atli Tómasson and Johan Sindri Hansen – The Brains Behind Fresh and Authentic Wasabi:

To bridge the gap between food production challenges, traceability, and water supply, Ragnar and Johan established Jurt Hydroponics in Iceland after its inception in 2015. Here, they chose to grow, harvest, produce, and export a water-intensive crop called the Wasabi Japonica plant. An otherwise difficult and hard-to-grow crop, this plant can grow very well inside the perfect climatic conditions and technologies that are used at Jurt Hydroponics like advanced technology Hydroponics and high-tech Greenhouses, in Egilsstaðir, a town in Iceland. These Greenhouses and facilities are technologically controlled to maintain optimum temperatures, brightness, humidity, and a nutrient-rich water supply.

With the facility located in the East of Iceland, Nordic Wasabi is fully automated for production. Controlled by a computer or smartphone, the harvest is the only part of the process taken care of by hand. After waiting 2-3 years for the fully grown Wasabi plants, high-quality produce is then harvested and exported internationally within 48 hours mainly to chefs and restaurants across Europe and USA. Wasabi harvested at Jurt Hydroponics and Nordic Wasabi in Iceland has a shelf life of 30 days, where it is crucial for the stem to be wrapped in a damp cloth and refrigerated in its original packaging. With each use of the fresh Nordic Wasabi, a little of the outer skin is shaved off each time exposing the amount of wasabi required, and then covered, wrapped, packed, and refrigerated yet again to continue to its longevity maintaining its freshness for the next use. 

The Challenge Faced:

The co-founders realized that almost 95% of Wasabi sold in the country as well as across the globe is of a mixed product content that includes horseradish, mustard, and green food coloring. Therefore, to address this food challenge in traceability, authenticity, and sustainable production from start to finish, the two engineers came out with their first product – Nordic Wasabi. Producing fresh, authentic, and real Wasabi at the company which can be used in fusion cooking in any cuisine like in sushi, all kinds of fish, meat, noodles, rice, ice cream, cocktails, dressings, sauces, brewing beer, and more. 

Wasabi has been refined so much that markets and brands that sell this product do not contain 100% Wasabi. Initially, a famous green paste notably recognized in Japanese cuisine, Wasabi has found its way around the world, and especially in the US this Wasabi is generally called by the Japanese as “the western Wasabi” or as “seiyō”. Freshly produced Wasabi that follows the New Nordic Food Manifesto in purity, freshness, simplicity, and sustainable production is brought to the table in the form of an intact stem, leaves, and flowers. While the leaves and flowers are also sold for their benefits in enhancing food and taste, the stem of the Wasabi Japonica plant is the main driving factor in sustainable Wasabi production and export. A fresh vegetable known for its unique taste in savory notes and spice levels, Wasabi is not real unless tasted straight from the kitchen or when freshly made. 

Nordic Wasabi:

The Wasabi grown, harvested, produced, and exported to other countries in Europe and to the USA are freshly made and sustainably produced at all stages of production. Producing and exporting to markets as products like Wasabi stems, flowers, leaves, and powder forms, Nordic Wasabi ensures the retaining of sustainability, freshness, authenticity, flavor, traceability, and taste. 

Adhering and instilling the New Nordic Food Manifesto into Ragnar and Johan’s Nordic Wasabi and Jurt Hydroponics operations, the industry standards alongside sustainable indoor Wasabi farming practices and approach continue to be met throughout all the stages of the Wasabi production, harvest, and export.  

With different cuisines evolving and becoming more fusion-based, people are all up for trying exciting new flavors, recipes, dishes, and beverages. Ragnar Atli Tómasson and Johan Sindri Hansen are thus paving the way for sustainable food production of high-quality Wasabi, and the chefs are more than enthusiastic to include this unique ingredient in their menus, cooking and plating a rich fusion cuisine for customers.