The powerful smell is derived from a specific part of the plant’s chemical makeup, the high levels of allyl isothiocyanate, while the taste comes from closely related isothiocyanate compounds. These chemicals work as a defense mechanism against predators who try to consume the plant, but it hasn’t worked too well on humans! These isothiocyanate chemicals also have a strong impact on the health benefits of wasabi, which will be discussed in the next section