Horseradish

Armoracia rusticana

Appears in
Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables

By Elizabeth Schneider

Published 1986

  • About

Jars of grated horseradish in vinegar are a common sight at supermarkets all over America. But fresh horseradish roots (considerably more versatile and pungent than the prepared mixtures) are a fairly recent addition to the greengrocer’s inventory—and common is hardly the word you’re likely to think of upon seeing one for the first time.

The root looks like something that may have belonged to a male mastodon and was fossilized for eons before arriving in the vegetable market. The taste, however, is not forbidding.