There’s probably nothing as divisive as horseradish. People either love it, or they hate it with a passion. And we do understand why that might be the case. After all, it’s a very strong and spicy taste. In its pure form, it’s even capable of producing tears in a person’s eyes.

Fortunately, when it’s mixed with vinegar, that effect is diluted a little bit. Regardless of whether a person loves or hates this root vegetable, one thing is for certain: there’s a whole month dedicated to it.

This month is known as National Horseradish Month and it occurs during the month of July. This is the perfect month to add more horseradish to your diet if you’re a fan, or to tell people why you don’t like it if you’re not a fan.

The History of National Horseradish Month

We’re not entirely sure who invented National Horseradish Month, but if we had to take a guess, we suspect that it was invented by someone who makes horseradish-based sauces.

Or maybe it was created by Arby’s (they have a horseradish sauce known as Horsey Sauce) or Outback (they have a horseradish-based sauce as well). We’re not entirely sure, but we do know that this holiday month was invented sometime during 2005 or 2006.

Fun Facts About Horseradish

Is everyone ready for some fun horseradish-based facts? We bet you are, that’s why we’ve decided to list some of our favorite horseradish facts below. We think that the following facts have almost as much kick as this root vegetable does, so let’s check them out.

• The Germans called this root “meerrettich,” which means sea radish.
• The name “meerrettich” was mispronounced as “mare radish,” and eventually, this would become horseradish.
• Horseradish was sometimes rubbed on the forehead to relieve headaches by some people in the American South.
• Horseradish is still planted and harvested by hand.
• This root was also known as “sting nose” in some parts of the U.S.
• Horseradish was one of the first crops cultivated in the American colonies.
• Collinsville, Illinois supplies 60% of the world’s supply of horseradish.
• Collinsville, Illinois is known as the World’s Horseradish Capital.
• The cold winters in Illinois give this root the dormancy it needs to properly grow.
• In a teaspoon of horseradish, there are approximately 2 calories.
• The ancient Greeks used horseradish to alleviate lower back pain.

Observing National Horseradish Month

Observing this month is as easy as adding some horseradish to your favorite dishes. As some popular restaurants have shown, horseradish can be used quite effectively in sauces.

It can also be used to add tang to baked potatoes, fish, dumplings, and a variety of other recipes. No matter how you use this root vegetable, just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalHorseradishMonth on social media to spread the word about it.