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Horseradish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Armoracia
Species:	A. rusticana
Binomial name
Armoracia rusticana P.G. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana, syn. Cochlearia armoracia) is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, which includes mustard and cabbages. The plant is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, but is popular around the world today. It grows up to 1.5 metres (five feet) tall and is mainly cultivated for its large white, tapering root, although the leaves are also edible.

Its root is used as a vegetable or ground in a condiment called prepared horseradish, and has at times been used as the bitter herbs in the Passover meal in some Jewish communities. Horseradish, sometimes blended with cream and called horseradish sauce, is often served with roast or boiled beef or sausages, as well as smoked fish. Horseradish is also used in some prepared mustards. Also, much of what is styled wasabi is, outside of Japan, actually common horseradish dyed green.

The horseradish root itself has hardly any aroma. When cut or grated, however, enzymes from the damaged plant cells break down sinigrin (a glucosinolate) to produce allyl isothiocyanate (mustard oil), which irritates the sinuses and eyes. Once grated, if not used immediately or mixed in vinegar, the root darkens and loses its pungency and becomes unpleasantly bitter when exposed to air and heat.

History

Horseradish was cultivated in antiquity. Cato discusses the plant in his treatises on agriculture, and a mural in Pompeii showing the plant has survived until today. It is probably the plant mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History under the name of Amoracia, and recommended by him for its medicinal qualities, and possibly the Wild Radish, or raphanos agrios of the Greeks.

Both root and leaves were universally used as a medicine during the Middle Ages, and as a condiment in Denmark and Germany.

William Turner mentions horseradish as Red Cole in his "Herbal" (1551-1568), but not as a condiment. In "The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes" (1597), John Gerard describes it under the name of raphanus rusticanus, stating that it occurs wild in several parts of England. After referring to its medicinal uses, he says: "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 meates as we do mustarde."

It is still used this way in Jewish and Romanian cuisine, where a sweetened horseradish-vinegar sauce called chrain or hrean traditionally accompanies gefilte fish. There are two varieties of chrain— "red" chrain and "white" chrain, i.e. mixed with or without red beet. It is also popular in Poland where it is called chrzan and in Hungary where they call it torma. Having chrzan or torma on the Easter table is a part of Polish and Hungarian Easter tradition. A variety with red beet also exists and it is called ćwikła z chrzanem or simply ćwikła.

Origin of name

It has been speculated that the word is a partial translation of its German name Meerrettich. The element Meer (meaning 'ocean, sea', although it could be derived from the similar sounding Mähren, the German word for Moravia, an area where the vegetable is cultivated and used extensively, or indeed from Mähre, meaning 'mare') is pronounced like the English word mare, which might have been reinterpreted as horseradish. On the other hand, many English plant names have "horse" as an element denoting strong or coarse, so the etymology of the English word (which is attested in print from at least 1597) is uncertain. (The OED contains no reference to the derivation from the German Meer.)

Modern uses

There are several manufacturers of prepared horseradish in the United States. The largest is Gold's Horseradish in New York which sells about 2.5 million jars each year. The company was founded during the 1930's by Hyman and Tillie Gold and later expanded by their three sons Morris, Manny & Herbert.

The American fast-food restaurant chain Arby's uses horseradish in its "Horsey Sauce", which is provided as a regular condiment, alongside ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. This is not a common practice at its major competitors.

Horseradish sauce made from grated horseradish root and cream is a popular condiment in the United Kingdom. It is often served with roast beef, but can be used in a number of other dishes also.

Additionally, since real wasabi is very expensive, even in Japan, most Japanese restaurants around the world actually serve a horseradish mixture that has been dyed green. In fact, the Japanese botanical name for horseradish is seiyōwasabi (セイヨウワサビ, 西洋山葵), or "Western wasabi".

The enzyme horseradish peroxidase, found in the plant, is used extensively in molecular biology in antibody amplification and detection, among other things.

Ethnomedical Use

• The roots are used to treat urinary tract infections, bronchitis, and coughs.

Nutritional value

Horseradish contains potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, as well as volatile oils, such as mustard oil, which is antibiotic. Fresh, the plant contains 177.9 mg/100 g of vitamin C.

See also

• list of vegetables
• scurvy-grass
• wasabi
• Cocktail sauce
• Albert sauce
• Bloody Mary (cocktail)
• Maror
• Kummelweck
• New England boiled dinner
• German cuisine#Spices and condiments
• British cuisine#Dates of introduction of various foodstuffs and methods to Britain
• Cuisine of Denmark#Sauces and condiments
• Cuisine of Canada#Canadian Food
• Lithuanian cuisine#Details
• Romanian cuisine#List of meals
• Corned beef#In other countries
• Rubefacient
• Glucosinolate

References

• Spices
• Condiments
• Brassicaceae
• Root vegetables