Radish Recipes

These are the main radish varieties available in Ireland nowadays, although some retailers and growers may have other less common ones.

Cherry belle - This type of radish is commonly sold in supermarkets. It has a subtle flavour that’s suited for both cooking with or eating raw in a salad.

Daikon radish - Sometimes called Chinese radish or white radish, this variety is used in Japanese and Chinese cooking. Asian recipes with white radishes often call for sesame or walnut oil, both of which pair with daikon radishes well.

Purple daikon radish - These are similar in flavour to white radishes. They look different, though, and have a purplish outer layer that runs to a paler violet inside.

Black radish - Sometimes referred to as Spanish radish, this variety is distinctively dark in tone. They are white inside and offer a spicy flavour.

Watermelon radish - These pleasant radishes have a greenish-white outer layer with pink insides, meaning they resemble watermelons somewhat. They taste very different, though, with a unique peppery quality.

French breakfast radish - This variety looks a little like a cherry belle, but they sometimes have a whiter hue at their tips and often feature a longer shape. They’re great for salads, thanks to their sweetness and crispness. Use them in a sandwich, especially if you can pair them with some French cheese.

Here are some great tips if you want to incorporate daikon radishes into home cooking but are unsure how to proceed:

1. Remove the stem of the white or daikon radish you’re preparing with a sharp vegetable knife. Although it is edible, the stem generally isn’t used in cooking.
2. Use a potato peeler to remove the tougher outer layer of the Chinese radish. That way, you'll only consume the more flavoursome flesh.
3. To boil a daikon radish for a meal accompaniment, slice it reasonably thinly —about 2 or 3 mm— and carefully place the slices into slightly salted boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. If you want to stir-fry a daikon radish, then heat a frying pan or wok with sesame oil or walnut oil to get the authentic flavour combination.
5. When frying a daikon radish, cut it into batons rather than slices, making them as thin as matchsticks so that they cook quickly once they go into the pan.
6. Fried daikon radish tastes great with carrot, so prepare one the same way and try cooking them together.
7. For boiled or fried Chinese daikon radishes, add a little soy sauce after cooking, resulting in an even more pungent combination of flavours.