Daikon

Daikon, also called mooli (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus), is a winter radish with a mild taste. It grows quickly underground and produces a long, white, turnip-shaped root. Originally from continental East Asia, it is now grown and eaten around the world. In some places, farmers leave it in the ground to break up hard soil and pull up nutrients. The vegetable goes by many names. In Japanese, it is daikon (大根), meaning “big root.” In Hindi, it is mooli (मूली). English speakers often call it white radish, winter radish, Oriental radish, or long white radish. When distinguishing the Japanese type from others, it may be called Japanese radish. Chinese names are less common in English. In Mandarin, it is báiluóbo (白萝卜, “white radish”) or simply luóbo (萝卜). Cantonese speakers say lobak or lo pak. In Min-speaking areas (Hokkien, Teochew, Wenzhounese), it is chai tow or chai tau (菜头). In English-speaking markets, it sometimes appears as icicle radish. Regional names include Taiwanese Hakka “little radish” (萝卜仔) and Zhongshan Min “radish-vegetable” (萝卜菜). In Singapore, it is sometimes called “white carrot” or just “carrot” because the Mandarin and Hokkien words for carrot literally mean “occidental radish.” This mix-up inspired the book title There’s No Carrot in Carrot Cake, referring to chai tow kway, a daikon cake. In Hong Kong, it is often misnamed “turnip,” giving “turnip cake” its name. In North America, daikon is widely grown and sold for food, with its use as a cover crop being a secondary benefit. The USDA does not officially refer to daikon as “oilseed radish” in non-culinary contexts; oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleiformis) is a different variety. Not all daikon are white. The Cantonese lobak sometimes refers to a type with light green near the top. The Korean radish, or mu, is shorter, stouter, and denser, with a pale green shade halfway down and softer leaves; both are often spicier than the long white kind. The heirloom watermelon radish has a dull green outside and a bright rose or fuchsia center. Its Chinese name, xīnlǐměi luóbó (心里美萝卜), is sometimes romanized as shinrimei and translated as “beauty heart,” “beautiful heart inside,” or “roseheart” radish. Chinese and Indian daikon varieties handle higher temperatures than Japanese ones and grow well at lower elevations in East Africa.