# Horseradish/Wasabi **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 21, 2025, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146 "2025-07-21T13:42:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/21 "2025-07-21T19:57:05Z")
It does seem like it. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/22 "2025-07-22T12:25:27Z")
Awesome! I’ve never seen it in a market but, I’m assuming, I can buy it on line? Just answered my own question. Yep, you can. Now, from what I’ve read and hopefully understood, I want the grated horseradish and not the dumbed down cream version, right? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/23 "2025-07-22T12:28:30Z")
Probably. You can also find it around the Chicago area. Any Polish-type store should have it or a similar Polish brand. Like if you have Shop and Save somewhere near you (I know there’s one on 89th-ish and Harlem; I go to the one on Archer and Cicero) they should have it. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it at some Jewels and Pete’s Markets as well, but that may vary depending on what neighborhood they’re in. And, yes, you want a product that says “grated horseradish” or “ground horseradish” and look at the ingredients to make sure there’s nothing much more than horseradish, salt and vinegar. Horseradish cream or sauce is good in its own right, it’s not just straight-up horseradish. ETA: With Pete’s, you may have to look and see if there’s a separate Eastern European section for food stuffs. Sometimes, like at Mariano’s, they’ll have Polish and Jewish stuff in a separate section. And, like I said, the stock will vary by store and the neighborhood they’re serving. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/24 "2025-07-22T12:29:43Z")
Thanks. I can get to a Pete’s without a problem. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/25 "2025-07-22T12:50:15Z")
So according to this recipe [Homemade Preserved Horseradish Recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/homemade-preserved-horseradish-recipe) horseradish roots themselves vary in pungency, and the longer you wait to add the vinegar after grating the stronger the final product will be. So presumably manufacturers take advantage of that and tailor the product to their perceived market. Since I live in New England, nearly everything in regular supermarkets is toned down to not offend delicate Yankee palates. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/26 "2025-07-22T13:08:59Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Aren’t those wimpier versions called “horseradish sauce” on the labeling? I only really look around Passover, but I believe the giveaway is the phrase “prepared” on the label. Prepared = mild. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/27 "2025-07-22T14:46:47Z")
Yeah, it’s very similar, unsurprisingly, to mustard that way if you’ve ever made mustard with vinegar from powder. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/28 "2025-07-22T15:00:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Sorry, that was my fault. I wrote that exactly backwards, but understood correctly. No, I do not find fake wabasi in restaurants more potent than grated horseradish root. > > The stuff on the right is what I use and grew up with: > > I find it at least as nose-clearing as restaurant wasabi. (But the spiciest I’ve had was my mom’s freshly prepared horseradish.) > > [https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d04d26\_6130bb4f37b545b39613fbc8e17d1434~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w\_478,h\_444,al\_c,q\_80,usm\_0.66\_1.00\_0.01,enc\_avif,quality\_auto/d04d26\_6130bb4f37b545b39613fbc8e17d1434~mv2.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d04d26_6130bb4f37b545b39613fbc8e17d1434~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_478,h_444,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/d04d26_6130bb4f37b545b39613fbc8e17d1434~mv2.jpg) All of those look to be varieties of horseradish sauce, which is typically much milder than the real thing. As to the grated horseradish sold in my local supermarket, it may not be as hot as what you’d get grating your own horseradish root and adding vinegar and salt\*, but if you tried spooning a bottle into your mouth you would not be a happy camper. \*these are the only commercial grated horseradish ingredients the Lord permits. Unfortunately, it’s gotten hard to find varieties that don’t also specify junk like “horseradish flavor”. \*\*I have grown horseradish in the garden, but haven’t found the formula for long-term success yet, which should be impossible but there you go. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/29 "2025-07-22T15:58:24Z")
There is some oil in it, but it’s hot and not that creamy stuff you get like Arby’s sauce. It looks like this out of the bottle; > **[Cracovia Grated Horseradish](https://www.polana.com/products/grated-horseradish?srsltid=AfmBOoro-3urGNypx2z6Vrqv1nUf9mkpEOOv3v_YFM4su3LsxPc4smOS)** > > Overview Contains no preservatives.  Net weight of one jar: 8oz Product of Poland Description  Grated horseradish is spicy and aromatic. The holiday table should not miss grated horseradish, which is a great addition to meats and sausages,... Like I said, I’ve eaten this stuff for over 40 years now and it’ll knock the breath out of you if you swallow it wrong. (At least the extra hot stuff; that’s a link to the regular. The red one is a different condiment made with beets and horseradish.) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/30 "2025-07-22T16:09:12Z")
> [@product blurb](#): > > It is anti rheumatic "I swallowed a mouthful and for a minute there, I forgot all about my knee pain. " ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/31 "2025-07-22T17:31:51Z")
I went down to that Shop and Save on Harlem, and in aisle 8 they have like at least 8 different horseradishes. They did not have the Cracovia extra hot, just the regular. But they had Lowell extra hot. I bought one of both.I tasted them out of the jar as soon as I got in the car and the Lowell has the nose clearing punch the Cracovia extra hot has. The regular Cracovia was fairly punchy, but not like the extra hot. The Lowell is as hot if not hotter than any “wasabi” I’ve had. Or so it seems to me. Same ballpark. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/32 "2025-07-22T17:39:44Z")
Okay, Cracovia Extra Hot or Lowell Extra Hot it is! I can actually get there, too. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/33 "2025-07-22T17:40:28Z")
It’s an Eastern European deli wonderland with a good deal of Middle Eastern stuff too. If you head a mile or two south on Harlem, the Pete’s there is crazy big and lots of Arabic groceries. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/34 "2025-07-22T17:42:47Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s an Eastern European deli wonderland with a good deal of Middle Eastern stuff too. Wait a minute. There is a cluster of Middle Eastern restaurants around 111th and Harlem. I’ve been to a couple myself. Is that the area it’s in? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/35 "2025-07-22T17:47:01Z")
A bit north of that main cluster. The Pete’s is near where you’re thinking of. There’s a bunch of Arabic stuff going all the way north to Toyota Park or whatever they call it these days. It’s a bit north of the Menard’s and Culver’s, around 89th. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/36 "2025-07-22T21:19:53Z")
You may find this list I found helpful (from mildest to hottest): **1. Creamy Horseradish Sauce** _Mixed with mayo or sour cream_ **Mild.** Smooth, barely spicy. Horseradish on vacation. **2. Beet Horseradish (Chrain)** _Blended with beets_ **Mild-medium.** Starts sweet, ends with a soft slap. **3. Real Wasabi** _From the rare Wasabia japonica plant_ **Medium.** Smoother, greener, and less aggressive. **4. Prepared Horseradish** _The classic jarred kind with vinegar_ **Medium-hot.** Sharp, tangy, sandwich-ready. **5. Fake Wasabi** _Usually horseradish + mustard + green dye in sushi joints_ **Hot.** Nose-tingling heat. Quick burn, quick fade. The con artist of condiments. **6. Freshly Grated Horseradish Root** _Raw, no vinegar_ **Hotter.** Intense, fast burn. Will make you rethink life. **7. Homemade Horseradish (Delayed Vinegar)** _Grated fresh, vinegar added after 2–3 minutes_ **Nuclear.** Eye-watering, soul-cleansing. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/37 "2025-07-22T21:33:12Z")
My mother liked to tell the story of having dinner at the captain’s table on a cruise in the 50s. She mistook a bowl shredded horseradish for shredded coconut and ate a big spoonful expecting a mouthful of sweetness…nope! Red-faced and sweating, she excused herself and made a beeline for the restroom. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/38 "2025-07-22T21:40:56Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > 1. Beet Horseradish (Chrain) Interesting. I never heard this term, but it does refer to beet horseradish. In Polish, we call regular horseradish chrzan, which I’m assuming is a cognate to chrain. But beet horseradish we call ćwikła. Yeah, it’s on the milder side. That list looks accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/39 "2025-07-22T22:24:54Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Nope. They claim to be grated horseradish, with no ingredients but horseradish, vinegar, and salt. Yet you could eat a jar with a spoon with no effects. Well, hell, after my great-aunt’s made-from-scratch horseradish at Seder I can pretty much eat any horseradish in a jar by the spoonful. But that might be something you have to grow up with. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146/40 "2025-07-22T22:27:56Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > \*\*I have grown horseradish in the garden, but haven’t found the formula for long-term success yet, which should be impossible but there you go. Try letting it grow for a year or two after you plant it. It’s actually a perennial and gets hotter (and tougher, hence the need to grate it) as it gets older. Or so my dad always said. (it’s his side of the family that used to make it from scratch) Not 100% sure that’s accurate but you could probably let one winter-over in the garden and see if that works for you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horseradish-wasabi/1021146.md?page=3)