Thursday, April 1, 2010

i had NO idea


about the history of horseradish. all i know is i ALWAYS keep a jar in my refrigerator and even when i'm out and a joint has it, i'll use it. i mix it with either vegan mayo or ketchup (or sometimes all three) and use it as a sandwich spread or a dip or a condiment. i've had fresh horseradish as well but i've never grown it myself (my mother's parents used to grow it. that i remember from my childhood). i love the intense heat (but very much different from lets say the heat of a chili pepper) of horseradish. a server in an asian restaurant described it best. she said peppers give you a mouth burn, horseradish gives you brain burn. and yeah, it DOES clear your head.

the article below has a ton of fascinating horseradish lore and info

Growing Your Own Horseradish


OUR horseradish roots looked so innocent when they arrived in the mail last spring. Just little brown sticks, about eight inches long and as narrow as pencils.

But last weekend, when we harvested the year-old roots of one plant, they were on the atomic side of hot.

“I can feel it burning all the way down,” my boyfriend, Rock, croaked, reaching into the fridge for his Gatorade. (The Rock gets heartburn from eating an orange.) “Now it’s a hot spot at the bottom of my stomach.”

My sinuses were clear for the first time in months. I couldn’t wait to mix huge dollops of this stuff with chili sauce to eat with steamed shrimp, or straight with rare roast beef..............


pic:

Rob Cardillo for The New York Times

Plant the fingerlike roots of horseradish, and grate the thicker root and mix it with vinegar. Then make a sandwich.

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