All About The Radish

Radishes at the farmers market

Radishes were never part of my upbringing. I’m not sure why. My mom served us interesting foods but radishes never made it into her repertoire. It’s too bad because they’re some really interesting and unusual varieties and they can pack a big punch. It’s surprising how a cute little red and marble-size, yet sometimes globe-shaped, veg can wake up your taste buds.

The radish is a root vegetable from the brassica family which includes a large variety of veggies such as cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and many more. The many varieties of radish range in taste from mild to pungent and peppery. The red globe radish is the most familiar. But they can also be white, oval, oblong, and long like the Asian white daikon radish in the shape of salami or the turnip shaped “black radish." 

Their peppery taste makes them popular in salads such as the Spinach with Radishes, Chickpea, Blueberry and Farro salad recipe in this blog. When buying radishes look for ones with the greens still attached. The green tops should look crisp and healthy. Cut them off and store the radishes in your refrigerator’s crisper. These radish greens are edible but only on the day you buy them because they wilt fast.  Although radishes are typically eaten raw or in salads, I recently roasted them and was pleasantly surprised.

Radishes come in various sizes