Horseradish

A coarse, very strong radish, Raphanus sativus var. niger, a hardy perennial plant. A distant relative of mustard, horseradish grows wild in many parts of the world, including the eastern U.S. It can be from 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) in diameter and up to 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) long, weighing about 1 pound (500 g). The skin is rough and cream-color, often blackened from dirt that collects in all its crevices. The flesh is firm and white, much less juicy than the common red radish and very rarely consumed uncooked, because it has a pungent bite when raw. It's usually chopped and pickled in vinegar, as an accompaniment for roast beef, or with a seasoning of shallots and sour cream, in salad.

Horseradish was much appreciated by the ancient Greeks and Romans as well as the Asians, and is extremely popular in Eastern European countries. It's among the "five bitter herbs" eaten by Jews at Passover. In the early 1500s, it was known throughout England as red cole, or Raphanus rusticanus, growing wild in several parts of the country. Elizabethan herbalist John Gerard noted, "The horse Radish stamped with a little vinegar put thereto, is commonly used among the Germans for sauce to eate fish with and such like meats as we do mustarde." Not until the 1600s did horseradish become an acceptable condiment in England - and even then, it was only for "country people and strong labouring men", according to John Parkinson, an herbalist of the time, who added, "It's too strong for tender and gentle stomaches." The early settlers brought it to America and, by 1806, included it in the list of common edible American plants. When cooked, its taste can be compared to that of rutabaga. If overcooked, it becomes a sticky, tasteless gruel.

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