Everyone’s talking about . . . horseradish

Why is horseradish hot news?

AFTER Tom Watson flounced out of his job as deputy Labour leader, his boss Jeremy Corbyn wrote to him with the cryptic message: ‘I hope the horseradish plants I gave you thrive.’

What on earth did Corbyn mean by that?

DEPENDS on how fiery you think the two men’s relationship is . . . Let’s say very fiery. Because horseradish contains a volatile compound called isothiocyanate, which is released when the root is grated. It brings tears to the eyes and heat to the tongue. The plant, which has large dock-like leaves, is an invasive root vegetable — grown on allotments such as Corbyn’s — which needs to be rigorously controlled to stop it taking over and killing other plants.

Isn’t horseradish sauce for Sunday roasts?

YES, and former trencherman Watson — 22st at his heaviest, having been a sucker for home-delivery pizzas — is well known as a food-lover. It was a reason he got caught up in the MPs’ expenses scandal, spending the maximum of £4,800 in a year on food.

What is the official Labour policy on horseradish?

SOME more sensitive souls may be appalled to know that it was introduced to North America during the years of European colonialisation. On the other hand, it was popular throughout the former Soviet Union.

So it’s a plant of the people?

WITHOUT a doubt. In Poland, horseradish soup is a common Easter Day dish and in Serbia it’s served with roasted suckling pig. There is even horseradish vodka. Also, Japanese sushi — not exactly a working-class staple — often comes with horseradish rather than the more expensive wasabi. Both derive from the roots of plants belonging to the mustard family — wasabi is known as Japanese horseradish — and are also a cousin of broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Wasabi has a distinctive green colour, but a dye is added to the usually cream horseradish when it’s used as a wasabi substitute.

Will sales of horseradish now soar or decline?

THE Corbyn association will probably make no difference. Although it’s a surprise that a vegetarian like him should be highlighting the uses of something normally served with meat.

Shouldn’t we take Corbyn’s letter with a pinch of salt, given he and Watson are unlikely to share a pint at the Dog and Duck?

YES, but many wonder whether Corbyn handed over his gift after reading about a 60-year-old woman who suffered heart problems in September having eaten a teaspoon of wasabi after mistaking it for avocado.