Chrain

Chrain is the Yiddish name for a horseradish sauce central to Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, attested in writing since the twelfth century. White chrain is grated horseradish mixed with vinegar and sometimes sugar and salt, while red chrain adds beetroot to the same base, and both are pareve, containing no dairy, so they can be served at meat or dairy meals under Jewish dietary law. It is most closely associated with gefilte fish, for which it is considered an essential condiment, and it also serves as the bitter herb, maror, at the Passover seder in Eastern and Central European Jewish tradition.