THE JEWISH HOME
APRIL 1, 2015
32
Don’t Know Much About Horseradish?
Every Seder plate needs maror, bitter herbs, because the bitterness connects us to the harsh life of our forefathers in Egypt. How do we represent the bitter herb? The most common root vegetable used on the Seder dish is horseradish. And what do we know about this eye watering, breath taking, tear-jerking pungent root? Actually, quite a lot. First of all, horseradish has nothing to do with horses and it is not a radish. Secondly, the small, pretty, white, perennial horseradish flower is poisonous to horses. The horseradish root is a member of the mustard family. In case you wondered, the scientific name is armoracia rusticana and it is part of the brassicaceae family. From where does the name derive? Some say it comes from the English word “horse” which, back in the 16th century, meant strong, large or coarse. The radish is a spicy vegetable with similarity in taste to the horseradish. Other opinions consider the name to be an adaptation from the German word, “meerrettich,” or “sea radish.” The German word “meer” sounds like a “mare” in English so it is assumed that the name “mareradish” was anglicized until it became, “horseradish.” Either way, the word “horseradish” first appeared in print in 1597 in John Gerarde’s English herbal on medicinal plants but references go back to Greek and Roman times. Pliny’s work, Natural History, is the largest work to survive from the Roman Empire, AD 77 and the horseradish is mentioned under a different name in Chapter 13, “known by some as “Persicon napy,” it has broad leaves and large roots, and is also very useful as an injection for sciatica.” Horseradish comes from Russia or perhaps somewhere else in Eastern Europe, but by all accounts it was known as chren. The root is harvested in the spring and fall, mostly by hand with an estimated 24 million pounds of horseradish roots processed annually. It was brought to, of all places, Illinois, USA, in the mid nineteenth century by an entrepreneur who thought he could market the plant and indeed this came to be when, in 1860 it was put for sale in clear jars. This was a highly progressive style of selling and was a boost to the jam jar industry. To this day, in May, the good people of Colinsville, Illinois celebrate the horse-
radish at the International Horseradish Festival. Really! The event lasts three whole days in the “Horseradish Capital of the World!” “Events include a root toss, a horseradish-eating contest and a horserad-
ish recipe contest. Since 1988, the festival was designed to create national awareness for the herb in the area where most of the world’s supply is grown. Collinsville and the surrounding area is post glacial land
so the soil is rich in potash, a nutrient on which the horseradish thrives. The Illinois area grows 60 percent of the world’s supply. The area’s cold winters provide the required root dormancy and the long summers provide excellent growing conditions.” What makes the hotness? Once the roots are crushed, grated or ground, they release the impossible to pronounce, isothiocyanate. Horseradish has only two calories a teaspoon, is low in sodium and provides dietary fiber although no-one has yet designed a horseradish weight loss diet. On the other hand, there are hundreds of excellent recipes available online, so you can happily use up your leftover Seder portions. As you can imagine, a herb of such mesmerizing flavor, has medicinal properties both untested and proven. It is said to protect from cancers, inflammation and infections. The plant is thought to be anti-inflammatory, a diuretic and nerve soothing. It is full of Vitamin C, it is an anti-oxidant and is also a gastric stimulant. Perhaps this is why we are so hungry for the Seder meal? Jeannie Milewski from The Horseradish Information Council – oh yes, there is one – helpfully confirmed that sales of horseradish increase during Passover, although prices are fairly stable. When you purchase your horseradish, you should choose a, “stony hard root that is devoid of sprouts, mold, or soft spots. Avoid greentinged roots, as they are very bitter.” You will be delighted to hear that you can store the leftovers in the fridge for most of the following year. Alternatively, there are commercially prepared horseradish products which let you avoid the goggle wearing outfit that is the choice uniform for home horseradish preparation. If, however, your teenager is brave enough to prepare your Seder horseradish from scratch, be sure to have them clean the root, wash it in cold water and then dry it before grating. The goggles are really a good idea as the processed horseradish can cause intense irritation to the eyes, skin, mucus membranes of the nose and throat. The pungency is not permanent however; if left dry, uncovered and unrefrigerated, the fragrance and flavor is lost. And that takes us back to the real value of the maror; don’t we want to lose the feeling of being lost?