Daikon

Daikon (Japanese for 'big root') or mooli, "Raphanus sativus" var. "longipinnatus," is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, root (other names are listed below). Originally native to continental East Asia, daikon is harvested and consumed throughout the region, as well as in South Asia, and is now available internationally. In some locations daikon is planted for its ability to break up compacted soils and recover nutrients, but not harvested.
Names.
In culinary contexts, daikon (from Japanese , "daikon") or are the most common names in all forms of English. Historical ties to South Asia permit "mooli" (from its Hindi/Panjabi name and also in Urdu) as a general synonym in English. The generic terms white radish, winter radish, Oriental radish, long white radish, and other terms are also used. Other synonyms usually vary by region or describe regional varieties of the vegetable. When it is necessary to distinguish the usual Japanese form from others, it is sometimes known as Japanese radish.
The vegetable's Mandarin names are still uncommon in English; in most forms of Chinese cuisine, it is usually known as "báiluóbo", Chinese white radish, although in Cantonese and Malaysian cuisine, it is encountered as "lobak" or "lo pak", which are Cantonese pronunciations of the general Chinese term for "radish" or "carrot" (萝卜). In the cuisines of Hokkien and Teochew dialect-speaking areas such as Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan, it is also known as "chai tow" or "chai tau" (菜头). In any of these, it may also simply be referred to as "radish", with the regional variety implied by context. In English-speaking countries, it is also sometimes marketed as icicle radish.
In mainland China and Singapore, the calque white carrot or misnomer "carrot" is sometimes used, owing to the similarity of the vegetables' names in Mandarin and Hokkien. This variant gave the title to a popular guidebook on Singaporean street food, "There's No Carrot in Carrot Cake", which refers to "chai tow kway", a kind of cake made from daikon.
In North America, it is primarily grown not for food, but as a fallow crop, with the roots left unharvested to prevent soil compaction; the leaves (if harvested) are used as animal fodder. The official general name used by the United States Department of Agriculture is oilseed radish, but this is only used in non-culinary contexts. Other English terms employed when daikon is being used as animal feed or as a soil ripper are "forage radish", "fodder radish", and "tillage radish".
In Hong Kong, it is also known as a turnip, and lends its name to turnip cake.
Varieties.
A number of nonwhite varieties occur. The Cantonese "lobak", "lo pak", etc. sometimes refer to the usual Chinese form, but is also applied to a form of daikon with light green coloration of the top area of the root around the leaves. The Korean radish, also called "mu", has similar pale green shade halfway down from the top, and are generally shorter, stouter, and sturdier, with denser flesh and softer leaves. Both are often spicier than the long white radishes.
The heirloom watermelon radish is another Chinese variety of daikon with a dull green exterior, but a bright rose or fuchsia-colored center. Its Chinese name "xīnlǐměi luóbó") is sometimes irregularly romanized as the "shinrimei" radish and sometimes translated as the "beauty heart", "beautiful heart inside", or "roseheart" radish.
Cultivation.
The Chinese and Indian varieties tolerate higher temperatures than the Japanese one. These varieties also grow well at lower elevations in East Africa. If moisture is abundant, it can grow quickly; otherwise, the flesh becomes overly tough and pungent. The variety "Long White Icicle" is available as seed in Britain, and will grow very successfully in Southern England, producing roots resembling a parsnip by midsummer in good garden soil in an average year.
The roots can be stored for some weeks without the leaves if lifted and kept in a cool, dry place. If left in the ground, the texture tends to become woody, but the storage life of untreated whole roots is not long.
Certain varieties of daikon can be grown as a winter cover crop and green manure. These varieties are often named "tillage radish" because the plant grows a huge, penetrating root which effectively performs deep cultivation. The roots bring nutrients lower in the soil profile up into the higher reaches, and are good nutrient scavengers, so they are good partners with legumes instead of grasses; if harsh winters occur, the root will decompose while in the soil, releasing early nitrogen stores in the spring.
Culinary use.
In Japan, many types of pickles are made with daikon roots, including "takuan" and "bettarazuke". Daikon roots can be served raw, in salads, or as "sashimi"'s which is prepared by meticulous . is frequently used as a garnish, often mixed into various dippings such as "ponzu", a soy sauce and citrus juice condiment. The pink spicy is daikon grated with chili pepper. Simmered dishes are also popular such as "oden". Daikon that has been shredded and dried (a common method of preserving food in Japan) is called . Daikon radish sprouts () are used raw for salad or garnishing "sashimi". Daikon leaves are frequently eaten as a green vegetable. They are thorny when raw, so softening methods such as pickling and stir frying are common. The daikon leaf is one of the Festival of Seven Herbs, where it is called "suzushiro".
In Chinese cuisine turnip cake and "chai tow kway" are made with daikon. The variety called "mooli" has a high water content, and some cookbooks recommend salting (or sweetening, depending on the region and context) and draining it before it is cooked. Sometimes, "mooli" is used as a medium for elaborately carved garnishes. More commonly, daikon is referred as "bailuobo" (白蘿蔔) in Mandarin or "lobak" in Cantonese. "Bailuobo" is used in a variety of dishes for its unique and mild flavour after being boiled and cooked. For soups, "bailuobo" can be seen in "bailuobo-paigu" soup (白蘿蔔排骨湯), "bailuobo-fanqie" soup (白蘿蔔番茄湯), bailuobo-doufu soup (白蘿蔔豆腐湯) etc. Delicacies such as "shredded "bailuobo"" (白蘿蔔絲) and "cut "bailuobo"" (白蘿蔔塊) are popular domestic dishes too. Similar to Japanese cuisine, there are many types of pickles (in Mandarin Chinese: 咸菜 "xiáncài" / 榨菜 "zhàcài") made with "bailuobo", for example "sour-sweet cut "bailuobo"" (酸甜白蘿蔔塊), "spicy "bailuobo"" (麻辣白蘿蔔), "bailuobo zhacai" (白蘿蔔榨菜), etc.
In North India, daikon is a popular ingredient used to make "sabzi", stuffed "paranthas", "pakodas", salads, pickles, and as garnish. The plant's leaves are used to make "dal" and "kadhi", among other dishes. In South India, daikon is the principal ingredient in a variety of "sambar", in which roundels of the radish are boiled with onions, tamarind pulp, lentils, and a special spice powder. When cooked, it can release a very strong odor. This soup, called "mullangi sambar" (, ; literally, "radish sambar") is very popular and mixed with cooked rice to make a good meal.
In Vietnamese cuisine, sweet and sour pickled daikon and carrots ( or "đồ chua") are a common condiment in "bánh mì" sandwiches.
In the Philippines, the sour stew "sinigang" may include daikon, known locally as "labanos".
In Pakistani cuisine, the young leaves of the daikon plant are boiled and flash-fried with a mixture of heated oil, garlic, ginger, red chili, and a variety of spices. The radish is eaten as a fresh salad, often seasoned with either salt and pepper, or "chaat masala". In Punjab province, daikon is used to stuff pan-fried breads known as "paratha". Daikon's seed pods, called "moongray" in local languages, are also eaten as a stir-fried dish across the country.
In Bangladesh, fresh daikon is often finely grated and mixed with fresh chili, coriander, flaked steamed fish, lime juice, and salt. This light, refreshing preparation served alongside meals is known as "mulo bhorta".
Fermenting radish normally releases a strong and noxious smell like bad flatulence or rotting cabbage.
Nutritional information.
Daikon is very low in food energy. A 100-gram serving contains only 76 kilojoules or 18 Calories (5 Cal/oz), but provides 27% of the RDA for vitamin C. Daikon also contains the active enzyme myrosinase.
Agricultural use.
Tillage radish leaves behind a cavity in the soil when the large tap root decays, making it easier for the following year's crops, such as potatoes, to bore deeper into the soil. Potatoes grown in a rotation with tillage radish do not experience growth restrictions associated with having a shallow hardpan soil, as the tillage radish can break the hardpan, making transfer of water and other important nutrients much easier for the root system.
Nutrient retention is another important feature of tillage radish. The large tap root is used to retain macro- and micro-nutrients, that would otherwise have the potential to be lost to leaching during the time when the field would otherwise be left empty. The nutrients from the root become readily available for the following year's crop upon the decay of the radish, which can boost yields and reduce fertilizer costs.
Robert Coffin, a potato industry consultant on Prince Edward Island, suggests that growing tillage radish could help boost potato yields, because of the effect that the large tap root that grows in depth has on mitigating soil compaction. This makes it much easier for potatoes to grow to their full potential, and not be held back because of compaction issues in the soil.
Daikons are also used as a forage around the world. As a forage they also have the side benefit of weed suppression. Although used elsewhere for much longer, daikon as a forage is a recent introduction in Massachusetts field practice.
Other use.
Daikon is used in preparing metal surfaces for chemical patination, for example under the Rokushō process.