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Unfortunately, we're still pretty far from horseradish season. At least in Europe, it's a winter crop. But yeah, I've been waiting for horseradish for a few months already.

Or horseradish mustard, pretty good stuff.

(aka Wasabi)

Real wasabi isn't horseradish. But a lot of "wasabi" flavouring you get in the west is horseradish with green colouring.

Wasabi and horseradish are different plants. They taste similar enough though that horseradish with green food-colouring is often used as wasabi, and that real wasabi is often diluted with horseradish — even in Japan.

Real wasabi is more expensive partly because it is more difficult to cultivate (in stream beds vs. soil) and partly because growers keep supply low to hike up the price.

It's ludicrously expensive too. A little bit of whole wasabi lasts me a long time as wasabi paste is sort of "foamed up" and I find the volume increases. It would be so worth it if I could cultivate even a single plant myself.

If you can't tell the difference, consider yourself lucky. I probably spend a few hundred dollars a year on wasabi and use it quite rarely.