Healing with Food Article

Horseradish

Accompanying recipe: Horseradish Spread

What gnarly root vegetable is biting hot but has a cooling aftertaste?  Horseradish (Armoacia rusticana). Aficionados equate one taste with rapture. Horseradish is grated into white shreds and judiciously mixed into sauces.

If, like most people, you regard horseradish as a food oddity, something your grandmother would have served, think again. Especially, that is, if you’re wild about the dab of lurid green wasabi that’s served alongside sushi. That’s actually horseradish plus green food coloring. (Unless, that is, you’re dining at a five star restaurant that serves  real Japanese wasabi or you’ve purchased it from a reputable source such as Eden Foods.)  Compared to horseradish, pale green wasabi is hotter and more aromatic.

While bottled horseradish sauce is also pungent, I hope you’ll try some fresh as it has a brighter and sweeter taste. Fresh horseradish is easy to use and store.

Horseradish gets its wallop from mustard oil (allyl isothiocyanate). This oil, a defining characteristic of the cabbage family, is slight in Chinese cabbage and cauliflower, but it reigns in horseradish.  Mustard oil makes horseradish both memorable and medicinal (see below).

Horseradish is one of the five bitter herbs (along with coriander, horehound, lettuce, and nettle) eaten during the Jewish Seder or Passover feast. Still a popular spice in Europe and Western Asia, horseradish was once common in American gardens. (I got my horseradish start from the original homestead in my neighborhood.)  Its leaves, when young, make an excellent salad green.

A horseradish root is not remarkable in appearance or action. Grate it, however, and your eyes will water and nose will burn. Horseradish’s mustard oil dissipates within 30 minutes after exposure to air and it is destroyed by heat--therefore, use it when raw and freshly grated. Or, to preserve both its medicinal effect and flavor, mix finely grated horseradish with equal parts of honey and vinegar and place it, tightly capped, in the fridge.

Look for plump, firm, crisp roots which are often—but not always—available at well supplied grocery stores. These foot-long, buff-colored, carrot-shaped roots are typically cut into chunks at the market. A piece of horseradish will keep, refrigerated, for months. Horseradish is also available as a dried powder and in prepared condiments.

While a classic accompaniment to corned beef and sauerbraten, a horseradish sauce is a great topping for grain pilaf and adds pizzazz to a homey bowl of beans. It’s versatile and adds interest to both mild and strongly flavored foods.

Its ethnobotanical uses as a medicinal agent are impressive…and backed by today’s science. Horseradish is an anti cancer agent and it stimulates and cleanses the mucus surfaces throughout the entire body. It increases the appetite and circulation; it aids digestion, inhibits bacterial infection, and is a weight reduction aid. A diuretic, horseradish helps treat edema and kidney stones. Historically, horseradish is also used for rheumatic and arthritic conditions.

For instant relief from sinus infections, hold ¼ teaspoon of freshly grated root in your mouth until its taste is gone. This cuts mucus loose, enables drainage, relieves sinus pressure and helps clear infection.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood