Introduction and Use of Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) as Food and Medicine from Antiquity to the Present: Emphasis on the Nordic Countries

Horseradish with its pungent taste and aroma has a long tradition of use as a spice and medicinal plant. It is most known to cure scurvy, due to its high vitamin C content. In the seventeenth century, utilization of horseradish changed from therapeutics to culinary. Today, consumption of horseradish has decreased even more since less time is spent on traditional cooking and preserving and new areas of use have developed. Its richness in glucosinolates makes it a possible cancer-preventive component in the diet and also a fungicide or pesticide. Horseradish peroxidase is used in medical research and analytical techniques and in detoxification of industrial wastewaters.