Horseradish is the thick white root of a hardy perennial in the cabbage family. Grated, it releases a sharp, sinus-clearing heat for sauces with roast beef, smoked fish, beetroot and oysters.
What it is¶
Horseradish is a large-leaved perennial whose long, tapering, beige-skinned root is white inside. Whole and unbroken, it barely smells. Grate it and within a minute it becomes one of the most violently pungent things in the kitchen, making eyes stream and noses run.
Like mustard and wasabi, it has no heat until its cells are damaged. Grating mixes a stored compound, sinigrin, with the enzyme myrosinase, producing allyl isothiocyanate, a volatile oil that goes up the nose. See mustard-oils.
The name probably uses "horse" in the old sense of "coarse" or "strong", as in horse chestnut. German calls it Meerrettich, Austrian German Kren, and Yiddish khreyn (hence "chrain").
Origins and history¶
Horseradish has been cultivated in central and eastern Europe since at least the Middle Ages, first mainly as a medicinal plant. By the 16th century Germans and Scandinavians were eating it with fish and meat, and it was spreading west. John Gerard's Herball (1597) mentions it as a sauce eaten by Germans; by the 17th century it was established in English cooking and inns, and it became the classic partner of roast beef.
It is one of the bitter herbs (maror) eaten at the Jewish Passover Seder in many Ashkenazi households, and Ashkenazi cooking gave the world beetroot-coloured chrain for gefilte fish. Immigrants took it to North America, where the area around Collinsville, Illinois, grows a large share of the US crop and calls itself the horseradish capital of the world.
Flavour and aroma¶
Fresh horseradish hits the nose rather than the tongue: a sharp, clean, sinus-clearing heat that peaks quickly and fades within seconds, unlike the lingering burn of chilli. Underneath is a sweet, earthy, slightly bitter root-vegetable flavour.
How hot it ends up depends on timing. Acid stops the enzyme reaction, so:
- Add vinegar or lemon juice immediately after grating for a milder result.
- Wait 2–3 minutes before adding acid for maximum heat.
Heat destroys the volatile oils, so horseradish should not be cooked for long.
In the kitchen¶
Preparing fresh horseradish¶
Peel a 5–10 cm length of root, then grate finely — ideally in a food processor, or outdoors, or at least by an open window. Keep your face away from the bowl. Add 1–2 tbsp white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt per 50 g grated root, depending on how hot you want it.
Uses¶
- Horseradish sauce: fold 2–3 tbsp grated horseradish into 150 ml crème fraîche or lightly whipped cream with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of sugar and salt. Serve with roast beef, steak, smoked mackerel, trout or salmon.
- Beetroot: Polish ćwikła and Ashkenazi chrain are grated beetroot with horseradish, vinegar and sugar.
- Austria and Germany: Apfelkren (horseradish with grated apple) with boiled beef (Tafelspitz); horseradish with sausages and ham.
- Cocktail sauce for prawns, and oysters.
- Bloody Mary: a teaspoon of grated horseradish is a common addition.
- Mash and dressings: stir into mashed potato, coleslaw or a mustard vinaigrette at the end.
💡 Reviving jarred horseradish
Jarred "horseradish sauce" is often mild and sweet. Grated horseradish preserved in vinegar (sold as "hot" or "grated") is much closer to fresh; stir it into cream yourself.
Buying and storing¶
Wrap unpeeled fresh root in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge's salad drawer for several weeks; it can also be frozen, whole or grated. Once grated, it loses pungency within days even in vinegar — make small batches. Opened jars should be refrigerated and used within a month or two; they darken and lose heat with age. Dried horseradish powder, reconstituted with water, is a reasonable store-cupboard backup.
Substitutes¶
wasabi (or wasabi paste, which is usually horseradish anyway). English mustard powder mixed with water gives a similar nasal heat; use less. In sauces, a spoonful of grated fresh ginger with mustard provides pungency with a different flavour.
Pairs well with¶
Beef, pork, ham, sausages, smoked fish, oysters, prawns, beetroot, apples, potatoes, eggs, cream, soured cream, vinegar, dill, chives, parsley, mustard and black pepper.
Growing your own¶
Horseradish is easy to grow — too easy. It is fully hardy, thrives in sun or partial shade in deep, moist soil, and any fragment of root left in the ground will grow into a new plant, so it spreads persistently. Many gardeners grow it in a large container or a bottomless bucket sunk into the soil. Plant pieces of root ("thongs") in spring, and lift roots in autumn or winter; many growers say flavour is best after the first frosts.
Health and safety¶
⚠️ Beware of lookalikes
There are historical and modern cases of poisoning from people digging up the roots of monkshood (Aconitum), which is extremely toxic, in mistake for horseradish. Only harvest roots from plants you have positively identified by their leaves. See poisonous-lookalikes.
Freshly grated horseradish gives off fumes that sting the eyes and nose; grate in a ventilated space and keep it away from children's faces. Large amounts can irritate the mouth and stomach. Wash hands after handling and avoid touching your eyes.
Did you know¶
Horseradish is the source of horseradish peroxidase, an enzyme extracted from the root and used very widely in biology and medical diagnostics as a marker and in test kits — probably horseradish's most important contribution outside the kitchen.