Daikon, the Japanese winter radish 大根

The large white radish essential for Japanese cuisine

In Japan, it is quite common to see a pair of vegetables, leeks, and daikon, in a shopping basket at a supermarket.

The large white radish is an essential ingredient for Japanese menus. Cooked in various forms, Japanese daikon radish goes very well with fish and meats or served alone, to appreciate its freshness and crunchiness.

With the land around the volcano being unfit for rice cultivation, it is said the locals of the Sakurajima area began to cultivate daikon during the nineteenth century or perhaps even earlier. Due to the beneficial action of the ashes of the volcano (still active) and of the earth, the daikon becomes enormous, very round, while remaining very tasty, very sweet, and low in fiber.

The Sakurajima daikon can reach up to 30 kilos for 50 centimeters in circumference! It is the pride of local farmers and is sold at a high price throughout Japan!

daikon sakurajima

Daikon de Sakurajima, énormes spécimens élevés aux cendres du volcan !

Wikimedia Commons

daikon

Daikon, le radis blanc japonais

Wikimedia Commons

Cut into large pieces in a miso soup, or in a stew with meat or fish, daikon is delicious when cooked and simmered. Try tasting it in the oden stew, ideal for warming up in winter.

Grated, it is called daikon oroshi. In this form, daikon is essential to accompany grilled fish, especially sanma (Japanese saury) and mackerel. It also very often accompanies tempura, kara-age-chicken-fried, and the soba-noodles-buckwheat.

From a nutritional perspective, daikon offers many benefits for the digestive system!

Takuan, la version marinée du radis blanc japonais daikon

Takuan, the marinated version of the Japanese white daikon radish

kattebelletje

daikon

Daikon oroshi, le radis daikon est râpé "comme la neige"

Photozou

The Japanese pot au feu, Oden

5th Moon

Kiriboshi daikon

Kiriboshi daikon

Lombroso, Wikimedia

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