Horseradish

Lore & Background

Horseradish has been cultivated since antiquity. Dioscorides listed it as Persicon sinapi, and Pliny the Elder mentioned it under the name Amoracia, recommending it for medicinal qualities. The early Renaissance herbalists Pietro Andrea Mattioli and John Gerard showed it under Raphanus. Both roots and leaves were used as traditional medicine during the Middle Ages, and the root was used as a condiment on meats in Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain. It was introduced to North America during European colonization, with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson mentioning it in garden accounts.

Reader's Guide

Horseradish is significant as a perennial root vegetable with a long history of culinary and medicinal use. Its pungency comes from allyl isothiocyanate, produced when the root is cut or grated, which irritates mucous membranes. The plant grows up to 1.5 meters tall, with white four-petalled flowers, and can become invasive if not managed. In the United States, concentrated growth occurs in Collinsville, Illinois, while Hungary is the largest European producer. Culinary uses include prepared horseradish mixed with vinegar, horseradish sauce in the UK and Denmark, and chrain in Eastern Europe, often served with roast beef, fish, or as part of Passover Seder. The leaves are also edible. Horseradish loses pungency when exposed to air or heat, and prepared forms darken over time. Its legacy includes traditional Easter and Passover symbolism, and it remains a common condiment in many cuisines.

Did You Know?

• Intact horseradish root has little aroma; pungency develops only when cut or grated.
• Horseradish is likely native to Southeastern Europe and Western Asia.
• The word 'horseradish' is attested in English from the 1590s.