On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:37:15 -0800 (PST), "Cat(h)"
wrote:

This may sound silly, but are you sure you have the genuine article?
I am asking because 1) you said you did not get the pungency you'd
expect, and my experience of horse radish is that you do without
reducing it to dust

I bought it from a well-known catalogue, so I hope so. I don't know
what the genuine article looks like. I planted the roots they posted
me and it grew a bit like dock leaves. I harvested them and they did
smell like horseradish; when I tried chopping it, it was smelly and
made my eyes water. It was just that, for some reason, when mixed with
cream, it was not overpowering at all.

Can you use any bit of root or should I use the oldest, thickest bits?
Does the strength mature with age of the root?

Thanks.