Daikon is a mild-flavored East Asian giant white radish. Though most widely known as daikon, the radish is also known under other names, including daikon radish, Japanese or Chinese radish, winter radish, mooli or moolobak, loh bak, lo-bok, or lo bok (Cantonese).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 35cm (8 to 14 inches) long and 5 to 10cm (2 to 4 inches) in diameter.

Daikon is a very important ingredient in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Indian cuisines. In China, it is used in a variety of dishes such as poon choi and dim sum. One dim sum, called mooli cakes or lobag gow, which can be cooked either by frying or steaming, is traditionally served at the Chinese New Year. Daikon is often cooked with meat and shiitake mushrooms in China, as a simple family dish. Daikon is often added to fishball curry, along with pig skin. In Korea, it is often pickled, and used in a variety of kimchi called kkakdugi. Pickled daikon (monla gyin) is also popular in Burma on its own or made into a salad. Daikon (monla u) may be simply boiled and dipped in a curried salty fish sauce or made into a sour soup with fish head (nga gaung chinyei).

Storage

When you buy daikon, choose a hard, moist root that is without cracks, unwrinkled, and heavy for its size. Keep uncut daikon in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. After cutting the root, wrap it in plastic wrap. Use daikon within one week of purchasing. Upon cutting, daikon should be crisp and juicy, like an apple.

Preparation, uses, and tips

The root itself is low in calories and rich in digestive enzymes and vitamin C. One serving of daikon provides roughly one-third of the body's daily vitamin C requirement. The flavor is slightly different depending on the part of the root. The top thickest part of the root is sweeter and thus best used raw. It may be cut into match-like strips and used in salads, or it may be finely grated (grating in a circular motion on a porcelain grater works best, but the smallest spike-like side of an ordinary metal grater will also do), sprinkled with soy sauce and spooned over fried foods, grilled fish, or even steak. The bottom part of the root, which is more pungent, is good for stir-frying, simmering, and pickling. This is the part that is perfect in the much beloved hot daikon stews of winter. (In fact, as the weather becomes cooler, the daikon's flavor becomes less sharp and sweeter.)

Info from Moscow Food Co-Op

Nutritional Highlights

Serving Size: 338g
Calories: 61
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 71mg
Total Carbohydrate: 14g
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 2g

The nutritional information above is from NutritionData.

Daikon Radish Remoulade

1 lb. 3 tbsp. 4 tbsp. 1 tsp. 1/4 cup

daikon radish (available at specialty produce markets andmany supermarkets), peeled Dijon-style mustard olive oil wine vinegar minced fresh parsley leaves

Cut the daikon into 2-inch-long fine julienne strips or grate it coarse. Rinse a large bowl with hot water, dry it, and in it whisk the mustard with 3 tablespoons hot water. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified, and whisk in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the daikon strips and the parsley and toss the mixture well. Serves 6.

Gourmet, April 1991

Seth's Summer-Style Kimchi (The Best)

napa cabbage
daikon radish
turnips
scallions
unrefined sea salt, non iodized sea salt or kosher salt
dried crushed red hot peppers
fresh ginger root
fresh garlic

Wash vegetables, chop napa cabbage coarsely, slice the daikon radish thinly, dice or grate turnips. Place into large bowl. Add salt to taste or, if you have a kitchen scale weigh the chopped vegetables, and add about 1 teaspoon salt per pound of vegetables. Add hot pepper, crushed or minced garlic cloves to taste, and add grated or pureed garlic root to taste. Again, try about one teaspoon hot pepper per pound of chopped veggies, and ½ teaspoon of garlic and ginger per pound of veggies. Taste. Korean kim chee tends to be very spicy, so by tasting you can gauge if you want it spicier.

Mix and pound the vegetables and spices well. The salt should draw out the juices of the vegetables. When the mixture is juicy, pack tightly into a glass, ceramic or pottery bowl. Cover with a ceramic, glass or pottery plate that fits inside the bowl place a weight on top of the plate. A glass jar filled with water makes a good weight. The vegetables in the kim chi should be submerged in the brine. Place a towel over the bowl to keep out flies.

Keep the kimchi out of the refrigerator. Taste the kimchi every day, and be sure to place the plate, weight and towel back over the bowl. After a few hours the kimchi can be eaten, however if it sits out for two or three days, it is even more delicious.

NOTE: If your house is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, put the kimchi in the fridge after 2 to three days. It will then be good for a few weeks.

Recipe from Hawthorne Valley Farm CSA.

Daikon Pot-Stickers

3 tbsp. veg oil
2 tsp. mince fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups daikon
1 cup carrot, grated
1/3 cup crumbled extra-firm tofu
2 tbsp. soy
20 Wanton (saltless soy) skins

In a large skillet, heat one tbsp of oil. Add ginger and garlic, add the daikon and stir at a constant (very important!!!) for two minutes. Then add grated carrot. Stir constant for one minute. Add the tofu and soy. Take skillet off and allow to cool. Lay out wanton skins and place one tbsp. of the filling you've made in the center of each skin. Wet rim of the skins and fold, forming a triangle. Deep fry to the I's likeness (InI prefer a light brown fry), and allow to cool, then enjoy!
Ital recipe from earthcultureroots.com