Beet Week Day 5 – Let’s Spice it Up
хрін (khrin)
In Ukraine, this spicy sweet condiment or salad called khrin (хрін) is a traditional Easter dish, but it is known and used throughout the world under a variety of names and for a variety of purposes. In the US, it is commonly referred to as Red <Beet> Horseradish and its bright pink color makes it an interesting addition to more typical condiments.
Ingredients
- 2-4 stalks of fresh horseradish, grated
- 1-2 raw beets, peeled and grated
Procedure
- Peel and grate raw beets. Let them sit for a little while and then squeeze the juice out.
- Grate the horseradish and put into a bowl (note: the grating of the horseradish releases an enzyme that creates its spiciness. As the grated horseradish sits, it will become spicier – to a point – however if left too long, it will lose that pungent flavor and become bitter).
- Add the beet juice to the horseradish and mix (note: adding the beet juice counteracts the enzyme and stops the spiciness from perpetuating. Additionally, the beets add a sweet flavor which further mellows the horseradish)
Khrin is a delicious accompaniment to any sort of cooked or cured meat.
On that spicy note – Happy adventures in Ukrainian cooking-with-beets! Leave a comment if you have other favorite beet-related or Ukrainian recipes.
Смачного (smachnoho)! ~Tammela~
Other names this (or a similar horseradish) dish is known by:
Central and Eastern Europe – khreyn or keen.
Poland – ofchrzan
Czech Republic – křen
Lithuania – krienai
Russia – хрен, khren
Hungary - torma
Romania – hrean
Bulgaria – хрян,khryan
Slovakia – chren
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
[…] Day 5: beet horseradish, also known as khrin and a tasty accompaniment to meat […]
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!