The hunt for red horseradish
This true story was inspired by the movie, “The Hunt For The Red October,” although it’s not about a submarine.
Based on the idea that truth is often stranger and funnier than fiction, our story is as follows. On a recent Saturday, we set out for the grocery store to buy some red horseradish to eat with our recent purchase of gefilte fish. From past experience, we were aware that the grocery stores, particularly in Johnson County where most area Jews live today, are filled with Jewish food pleasures for the coming Passover.
Our first stop was the Hen House in Corinth where we came away empty-handed. Then, we tried Price Chopper in Leawood to no avail, with the same negative results at the Fresh Market at 135th. After searching for about two and a half hours and a quarter of a tank of gasoline, we finally located our ‘prey’ — a jar of red horseradish ($2.50) at the Hen House at 135th & Metcalf. Either the demand for horseradish has decreased in the Kansas City area markets or the demand was so great that the product sold out early. We won’t comment here on which option we think is the case. Red horseradish had certainly become a precious commodity for us. I clutched it ever so carefully as I brought the jar into the house for fear I might drop it. It proved a trip worth the time and effort. After all these many years, gefilte fish with red horseradish has not lost its appeal.