When I was a kid I hated them. My mom had to force me to eat them, but when a naturist recommended she drank its juice, she hated them too. I saw a bag of radishes at the Mexican market the other day and decided to give them another chance into my diet. Why i hated them so much when I was a boy I don’t understand. I wouldn’t describe them as the tastiest veggies, but they are not nasty by any stretch of the imagination. Besides, they are surprisingly healthy (for such small guys).
Radishes are an edible root vegetable related to turnips and mustard. There are many varieties including red, white and black radish. They have been cultivated and eaten in China, Japan and parts of Europe for thousands of years. It is believed that they were eaten in Egypt and ancient Greece. Radish was introduce to northern Europe and America in the sixteen century and now it’s very popular around the globe.
Radishes germinate and mature rapidly. During the summer they can me germinate and grow in just three to four weeks. They grow best in full sun and fertile, acidic to neutral soil. They are in season from April to as late as October in the northern hemisphere.
Radishes are rich in vitamin C, iron, sulphur and iodine. They are classified as cruciferous plants, which are linked to anti-cancer properties. Their “spicy” flavor is unlike any other vegetable and add an unexpected flavor to your meals and salads. They added a lot of flavor to this potato salad and this taco salad.
With all this information I am thinking I want to have some radishes in my garden (my very first one) this summer. There’s nothing like having fresh, healthy food in your backyard. How many of you like radishes? How do you prepare them?
Helpful resources for this post:
- Radish information at Healthrecipes.com
- Eat Radish at eattheseasons.co.uk
- Radish article at wikipedia.org
- See some radish recipes here
8 Replies
I’m a radish lover. When I was a kid, we grew them in the garden and we would eat them plain with salt. I love putting them into salads and sandwiches for bite.
Posted on April 18th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
When we were kids we also had our own little part of the garden. We planted peas, radishes and carrots. I didn’t like radishes much myself either, but they grew quickly which made them the perfect veggie to grow for an inquisitive child:D
Posted on April 19th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
You know I had some after a long while, and I was surprised at how much I like them.
Posted on April 19th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I love, love, love radishes! And I hated them as a kid, but I can’t wait for their arrival at our Farmers Market. My favorite spring salad is spring greens, sliced radishes, and fresh strawberries and mint tossed with olive oil, a touch of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper – perfect!
Posted on April 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I remember watching my dad trim the tops and bottoms of the huge radishes, add salt and just crunch away. I watched him in awe thinking “what the heck do you see in those things anyways”. To this day I’m not a huge fan but will add them to a salad for colour if they’re in the house. I still wouldn’t drop what I’m doing to run to the store to buy a bunch of radishes.
Posted on April 20th, 2008 at 1:50 am
I can’t remember the last time I ate radishes, but now I am intrigued. Great post.
Posted on April 21st, 2008 at 7:51 am
[...] has an interesting look at the radish, a food I am not familiar with, at What’s [...]
Posted on April 27th, 2008 at 8:32 am
We have big long white radishes, very unlike your tiny short pink versions. I like them in spicy/hot tamarind-base soup/stew with eggplants, spinach, and any other vegie I can throw in to accompany slow-cooked super tender juicy pork ribs.
Posted on November 5th, 2008 at 2:48 am
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