Daikon (from Japanese ダイコン (daikon), literally "large root"), Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, is a mild-flavored, very large, white East Asian radish. Despite being known most commonly by its Japanese name, it did not originate in Japan, but rather in continental Asia.
Although there are many varieties of daikon, the most common in Japan, the Aokubi-daikon, has the shape of a giant carrot, approximately 20 to 35 cm (7.9 to 14 in) long and 5 ...
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Daikon (from Japanese ダイコン (daikon), literally "large root"), Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, is a mild-flavored, very large, white East Asian radish. Despite being known most commonly by its Japanese name, it did not originate in Japan, but rather in continental Asia.
Although there are many varieties of daikon, the most common in Japan, the Aokubi-daikon, has the shape of a giant carrot, approximately 20 to 35 cm (7.9 to 14 in) long and 5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) in diameter. One of the most unusually shaped varieties of daikon is the turnip-shaped Sakurajima-daikon often grows as large as 50 cm (20 in) in diameter and weighs as much as 45 kg (99 lb) cultivated in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The flavour is generally rather mild compared to smaller radishes.
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...
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