Horseradish

Horseradish is generally traced to southeastern Europe and adjacent western Asia. Pinning down a narrower native range is difficult because people have cultivated, transported, and naturalized the plant for centuries. A hardy perennial in the cabbage family, it survives underground through cold winters and readily grows again from small pieces of root.

Its famous heat is created only after the root is damaged. Cutting or grating breaks open plant cells, bringing enzymes into contact with glucosinolates and releasing volatile mustard oils. Vinegar slows that reaction, which is why prepared horseradish can range from gently sharp to fiercely pungent depending on when it is added.

Horseradish became established across central and eastern Europe as both a seasoning and a traditional medicinal plant. It found an enduring place beside rich meats and fish and became especially important in Jewish food traditions, where it is often used as a bitter herb at Passover. European settlers later carried the crop to North America, where it adapted well to temperate soils.

Today horseradish is grown commercially in several European countries and in parts of the United States. Southwestern Illinois, particularly the area around Collinsville, is especially noted for American production. Though modern cultivation has carried it far beyond its probable homeland, horseradish still reflects the cold-tolerant landscapes and robust food traditions of eastern and central Europe.