Daikon radish

  

Raphanus sativus

This is a vegetable we eat almost every day.
While available year around, its true season is winter. The crispy taste and texture in season is unbeatable.

Daikon's taste and texture are different according to section. The greener section on the leaf end has a coarser texture but tastes sweeter, and it is good for grating (mild), soup and stew. The middle section is versatile and good for any preparation. The skin has stronger fiber than the greener section. When softer results are desired with this section, skin thickly. The removed skin can be julienned and made into stir-fry. The tapered end is fibrous but softer and contains more water than the greener section. It also tastes spicier than the other sections, and is good for grating (pungent), pickles, deep-fry, and stew.

Diastase (amylase), a digestive enzyme, is one of the most known beneficial elements of daikon root. Together with another digestive enzyme, oxidase, they protect the mucous membrane of the stomach and detoxify carcinogens contained in burnt food. The element responsible for daikon's pungent spiciness is isothiocyanate, a sulfur compound, which reinforces the detoxifying effect on the liver and controls carcinogens.
Daikon root is also rich in Vitamin C (22 mg/100 g).

Leaves contain Vitamin C, beta-carotene and calcium. Use just like any leafy green vegetable.

Root: 18 kcal/100 g; 94.6% water, 0.4-0.5% protein, 0.1% fat, 4.1% carbohydrate、1.6% ash
Leaves: 25 kcal/100g; 90.6% water, 2.2% protein, 0.1% fat, 5.3% carbohydrate, 0.6% ash

Recipes with daikon

<Rice>

• Shiozake no oroshi donburi / grilled salted salmon and grated daikon radish on steamed rice
• Tentojidon / tempura simmered in broth and egg on rice 
• Konsai to ebi no kakiage tendon / root vegetable and prawn tempura over rice

<Soup>

• Karifurawaa to satoimo, daikon, seri no surinagashi / cauliflower, baby taro root and daikon radish white miso potage soup with water dropwort 
• Konsai no sakekasu misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and sake lees
  
• Konsai no yooguruto misoshiru / root vegetable miso soup with yogurt
• Kakitama oroshi no misoshiru / egg flower and grated daikon radish miso soup
• Asupara to daikon no misoshiru / miso soup with asparagus and daikon radish  
• Sobagaki-iri konsaijiru / root vegetable soup with buckwheat dumplings 
• Kasujiru / sake lees soup with salted salmon and root vegetables 
• Konsai to tofu no akadashi / red miso soup with root vegetables and tofu
• Konsai to shiozake no misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and grilled salted salmon
• Kenchinjiru / root vegetable and tofu soup 
• Konsai no misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables
• Daikon to mizuna no misoshiru / miso soup with daikon radish and mizuna

<Main dishes>

• Daikon to ika no misoni / daikon radish and calamari simmered in miso-flavored broth
  
• Suigyoza no chige-fu nabe / jjigae-style hotpot with shui jiao dumplings
  
• Oden (genen) / fishcake, tofu and root vegetable stew (reduced-sodium version)
  
• Itokoni / root vegetables and azuki beans simmered in broth
  
• Sakana no oisutaasoosu-ni, howajao-iri / simmered fish in oyster sauce-flavored broth with Sichuan peppers
• Ebi-shinjo to yasai ribon no nabe / hot pot with prawn-fish dumplings and vegetable ribbons
  
• Gyuniku no amiyaki, oroshi ponzu-zoe / grilled beef with grated daikon radish and citrus-flavored soy sauce
• Buta no kakuni / stewed pork
• Tomato to satsumaage, kabu no oden / oden stew with tomatoes, deep-fried fishcakes and Japanese turnips
• Konsai to ebi no kakiage / julienned root vegetable tempura with prawns
• Ganmodoki to daikon no nimono / deep-fried tofu patties and daikon radish in broth
• Sake no shoyu sotee, daikon oroshi zoe / salmon soy sauce saute, with grated daikon radish
• Ika to daikon no misoni / calamari and daikon radish in miso-flavored broth
• Gyoza no pirikara-nabe / mildly spicy hot pot with jiaozi dumplings and kimchi
• Yukimi-nabe / hot pot with tofu and grated daikon radish 
• Ganmodoki no mizore-an / deep-fried tofu patties with grated daikon radish sauce
• Ainame no oroshi-ni, kabu to satoimo zoe / deep-fried ling cod in soy sauce broth with grated daikon radish, with Japanese turnip and baby taro root
• Gindara to daikon no pirikarani / black cod and daikon radish in spicy broth
• Tofu to daikon no happa no miso itame / tofu and daikon radish leaves saute with miso
• Kinki no aradaki / channel rockfish in soy sauce broth
• Daikon to atsuage ni / daikon radish cooked with deep-fried tofu

<Side dishes>

• Seiyo meshida to ebi no tosazu-oroshi-ae / lady fern fiddleheads and shrimp in bonito flake infused vinegar dressing with grated daikon radish
  
• Furofuki daikon / soft simmered daikon radish with sweet miso sauce
• Kinkan namasu / daikon radish and kumquat pickled in sweetened vinegar
• Shungiku to ringo no mizore-ae / garland chrysanthemum and apple with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar 
• Daikon no shiso-amazu-ae / daikon radish with sweetened perilla-infused vinegar 
  
• Kuzukiri to daikon, kani no sarada / kudzu arrowroot starch noodle, daikon radish and crabmeat salad, with citrus-flavored soy sauce dressing
• Tomato no amazu oroshi-ae / tomato with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar 
• Daikon no shiso soosu-ae / daikon radish salad with green perilla dressing 
• Daikon, ninjin, age no itameni / daikon radish, carrot and thin deep-fried tofu saute simmered in broth (reduced-sodium version)
  
• Daikon to kaki no namasu / daikon radish and persimmon in sweetened rice vinegar
• Daikon, ninjin, age no itameni / daikon radish, carrot and thin deep-fried tofu saute simmered in broth
• Daikon to shami no itameni / simmered daikon radish with shami dried shrimp
• Daikon no kawa no kinpira / kinpira saute of daikon radish skin 
  
• Kinoko itame no oroshiae / mushroom saute with grated daikon radish
• Daikon to arugura no sarada / daikon radish and arugula salad with sesame-lime dressing
• Daikon to kani no remon-ae / daikon radish and crab with lemon
• Daikon no misoni / daikon radish in miso-flavored broth
• Shiozake no oroshiae / grilled salted salmon with grated daikon radish
• Namasu / daikon radish and carrot in citrus vinegar marinade 

Try daikon in the following recipes

• Gomoku ankake udon / wheat noodles with thickened soup and assorted ingredients
  
• Koyadofu no ageyaki to renkon no horenso-an / fried freeze-dried tofu and lotus root with spinach dashi sauce (daikon leaves)
  
• Miso yasai raamen / vegetable ramen noodles with miso-flavored soup
  (daikon leaves)
  
• Tosho chaamen / dao xiao chao mian / fried hand-shaven noodles (daikon leaves)
  
• Horenso to shungiku, kikka no ohitashi / spinach, garland chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum flowers in light broth (daikon leaves)
  
• Asazuke hakusai kimuchi / quick napa cabbage kimchi
• Tonyu miso nikomi udon / hot-pot udon wheat noodles in red miso and soy milk broth 
• Kankoku mitsuba no shiraae / cham namul with tofu dressing (daikon leaves)
  
• Atsuage to mizuna no ponzujoyu-ni / deep-fried tofu and mizuna simmered in citrus soy sauce (daikon leaves)
  
• Koyadofu to saishin no nibitashi / freeze-dried tofu and yu choy sum simmered in broth (daikon leaves)
  
• Horenso, moyashi, sumookusaamon no ohitashi / spinach, mung bean sprouts and smoked salmon marinated in light broth (daikon leaves)
  
• Soba to warabi no ponzu sarada / buckwheat noodle and bracken salad with citrus soy sauce (daikon leaves)
  
• Sake to hijiki no itameni / salmon saute with hijiki seaweed (daikon leaves)
  
• Atsuage, moyashi, saishin no nibitashi / deep-fried tofu, mung bean sprouts and yu choy sum simmered in light broth (daikon leaves)
• Tonyu nabe / hot pot with soy milk broth
• Kiriboshi-daikon to saishin no misoshiru / miso soup with dried julienned daikon radish and yu choy sum (daikon leaves)
  
• Kani zosui / steamed rice with crab and egg in broth (daikon leaves)
  
• Kabu no ha to ninjin, age no nibitashi / Japanese turnip leaf, carrot and thin deep-fried tofu in light broth (daikon leaves)
  
• Sake to tofu no komatsuna suigyoza / shuijiao boiled dumplings with salmon and tofu in komatsuna wrappers
  
• Sakana to saishin no tamagoyaki / omelet with fish and yu choy sum
• Nameshi / steamed rice mixed with leafy greens
• Tomato to satsumaage, kabu no oden / oden stew with tomatoes, deep-fried fishcakes and Japanese turnips

(Last updated: October 18, 2019)