11151 Why Do Horseradish and Wasabi Burn Your Sinuses? Thu Jun 12 15:55:00 -0700 2008 http://www.chow.com/stories/11151 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:55:00 GMT It hurts so good It hurts so good. http://www.chow.com/assets/2008/05/NQ_105_3.jpg Roxanne Webber 62 Nagging Question 1 Horseradish and wasabi are both made from the roots of plants in the cabbage family: Armoracia rusticana and Wasabia japonica, respectively.

When the cells in these roots are ruptured—if they’re chopped or chewed, for example—they release a compound called allyl isothiocyanate. As well as having a very pungent taste, this chemical is what irritates your nose and eyes, says T. Page Owen, PhD, chair of the Connecticut College Botany Department.

As we eat wasabi or horseradish, allyl isothiocyanate vapors travel through the back of the mouth and up into the nasal cavity. This triggers a nerve response in the nose and sinuses, explains Dr. Dawn Chapman, project leader for sensory research at the National Food Laboratory, causing the familiar nose-tingling burn.

CHOW’s Nagging Question column appears every Friday.

]]> 12796 roxanne webber 1 chow 101 horseradish 99 wasabi 1440 burn 19058 hot food 382 chile 732 peppers 19241 nose 19242 sinuses 19243 armoracia rusticana 19244 wasabia japonica 19245 allyl isothiocyanate 19246 t page owen 19247 connecticut college botany department 19330 cabbage family 19331 dawn chapman 17229 national food laboratory