Ćwikła z chrzanem

The story

Ćwikła is grated cooked beet sharpened with horseradish, and in Poland it is set out beside the eggs and cold meats at Easter breakfast. The name is also a colloquial word for the red beet itself. The pairing is old: the Renaissance writer Mikołaj Rej described ćwikła in 1567 in his book Żywot człowieka poczciwego, The Life of an Honest Man.

Horseradish has its own place in the Easter basket. Among the foods carried to church for the święconka blessing on Holy Saturday, March 27, 2027, a piece of horseradish root traditionally stands for the bitter suffering of Christ. Polish writers also group horseradish with salt and pepper as signs of strength and cleansing. On Easter Sunday, March 28, the blessed foods are eaten at breakfast, and ćwikła is the usual way horseradish reaches the plate, next to sliced ham, white sausage, pâté and halved eggs. The same relish returns at Christmas beside herring salads and marinated mushrooms.

Grate the horseradish last, and outdoors if you can, because its fumes are strong. A small bowl at each end of the table is enough for a family of six, and leftovers keep for two weeks in a jar.