inconclusive. In Asia, it’s thought that
preheating the oil to the smoking point
reduces isothiocyanate content.
Horseradish Horseradish is a west Asian
cabbage relative, Armoracia rusticana,
remarkable for large fleshy white roots rich in
sinigrin and its volatile pungent compound.
Horseradish pungency develops when the raw
root is grated, or when the ground dried root is
rehydrated. Horseradish doesn’t seem to have
been cultivated in Europe until the Middle
Ages; today it’s used as a relish or dressing
for meats and seafood, often in the company
of cream to take the edge off its strong flavor.
Wasabi Wasabi is the enlarged stem of an
East Asian cabbage relative that also
accumulates sinigrin as a chemical defense.
Wasabia japonica is a native of Japan and
Sakhalin Island, where it grows alongside cool
mountain streams. Wasabi is now cultivated
in several countries and is occasionally