🥬 Flavor · Japan📍 Aomori · winter root•⏱ 5 min

Daikon, the singing radish

大根 · The Japanese white radish that weighs more than it seems.

Aomori Prefecture· Winter· 5 min read

Daikon is a radish that doesn't look like a radish. It sometimes weighs 4 kg, reaches 50 cm, and its taste changes from tip to end. The tip is pungent, the middle is neutral, the end is sweet. In Japan, it is grated, braised, pickled, and dried.

Daikon cultivation dates back to the 8th century, imported from China. Varieties have multiplied to meet all uses: aokubi-daikon (pale green, sweet, for grating), miyashige-daikon (long, firm, for braising), sakurajima-daikon (huge, round, for preserving).

Sakurajima-daikon, native to Kagoshima, is the largest radish in the world. Grown on the volcanic slopes of the island, it can weigh up to 30 kg. Its density is exceptional: it retains its firmness even after several hours of braising.

The origin

In winter, Tokyo's markets overflow with daikon from Aomori. This northern prefecture, swept by the cold winds of the Tsugaru Strait, produces the juiciest and sweetest daikon. The cold stimulates sugar production in the root.

Traditional farms plant in September, harvest in November-January. The radish sleeps under a thin layer of snow, which further concentrates its sugars. Part is air-dried (kiriboshi-daikon), another is sold fresh.

Daikon, the large Japanese root — close-up

The use

Grated daikon (oroshi) is a universal condiment: place it on grilled fish, on tempura, in a ponzu sauce. It digests fats and refreshes the palate.

Braised daikon (furofuki) is an iconic winter dish. Cut into thick slices, blanch for 10 minutes in rice water, then braise for 1 hour in dashi with soy sauce and mirin. The daikon becomes translucent, melting, almost sweet.