Hello people! It is How Unique Japan again.
Today, we would love to tell you about White Japanese radish, Daikon. It is one of the most popular vegetables in Japan, and we can see it in multiple ways (menu). So, it is also traditional.
Where do we grow and keep them?
Where can we grow them in Japan? It is everywhere. (Basically, the North area is the most supplying area). They are tough vegetables for any situation, like cold weather (10 to 21 degrees) or poor soil.
Surprisingly, a coldness makes that product more tasty and sweeter. The vegetable would observe good nutrition from the soil to survive through such a cold season.
After farmers harvest, we shall be able to cook them in varied ways, as I said. They are usually one ingredient for Miso soup and Oden soup. Grated radish can help with seasoning (basically, many Japanese eat burned fish with it and soy sauce).
Additionally, they can be in edible condition for half or one year if they get dried under the sun till all water inside is gone.
The affection for health & menus
Then, what are the positive effects on our health when we eat them? First, they are healthy. Besides, they contain Diastase. It is a digestive enzyme that can break down starch and glycogen. So, they help with our stomach condition, even hangovers.
Then, we shall see some famous “Daikon” menus in Japan. What do we have?
Kiriboshi Daikon
It is the Kiriboshi Daikon. With the direct translations, it means The sliced and dried Daikon. As it says, it gets thin into a line shape, then dried under the sun. They will last their edible condition from 6 months to 1 year. The popular way to eat them is a Simmered dish, adding soy source or vinegar after washing with water to get edible condition back.
Frofuki Daikon
If you want to enjoy the Umami taste of Daikon, it is one recommendation. It is Furofuki Daikon. That says, Daikon after the bath time. So, it is boiled Daikon simply with Miso paste on top.
Miso soup
You might already know it. It is a traditional Japanese soup. The soup contains miso paste made from soybeans as one of its main ingredients. The taste is mild and salty. The feature is every ingredient (vegetables) could be another option for the soup. So, Daikon is a good one.
If you want to know about the Miso, please read the article about Fermented food here!
Takuan (White radish pickles)
As you might have known, some vegetables can be tasty pickles.
(In Japan, we say those pickles, Tukemono. If you are interested in it, click here! Japanese Pickles.)
However, the pickles from the white radish are inseparable from the time for meals in Japan. So, it is always welcome with rice.
The origin story is also a feature.
The inventor was a MONK of a Japanese temple from 400 YEARS AGO. He is Mr. Takuan. Indeed, he named it by himself.
How do they make it? First, they (makers) cut the leaf part of the radishes. Then, hang them under the sun for two weeks to dry them.
After that, set them in the barrels with salt, sugar, and oryzae. The key to pickle well is weight. They always place a stone with the proper size on the barrel to press the radishes. It takes about two or three weeks to be ready.
One more fact. The yellow color is from a flower. It is Gardenia.
To close
All I showed are a really few examples and explanations of Daikon.
If you want to follow, feel free to visit my front page! Thank you very much for reading this article. And see you soon!