Horseradish

Horseradish root sits quiet in your hand, and it stays quiet until you cut it. The sharp bite isn't there in the whole root — it wakes up only when the cells are broken. That's why you grate it, never slice it and leave it be: grating ruptures the flesh, and the sting builds in the air, right under your nose. Let it sit a minute after grating and it gets sharper, not weaker.

Choose a root that's firm all the way through, heavy for its size, with no soft spots and no green sprouting at the crown. Snap a piece if you can — it should break clean and smell sharp immediately, not musty. A root that bends instead of snapping feels tired and dull, and it won't smell like much either.

Some people say horseradish only matters for its heat, so you can grate it well ahead and keep the jar open on the counter. No! That heat runs off into the air with time, and an open jar loses it fast — leave it uncovered and the smell fades, the colour goes dull, and what's left tastes flat. Grate it close to serving, cover it tight, and keep it cold.