Radishes are beautiful vegetables that come in all different colors of the rainbow, but how’s the flavor? In this article, we’ll be covering taste, texture and recipe tips to get you started on your culinary journey.
Let’s get straight to it…
What Does Radish Taste Like?
The biggest feature of the radish is its piquant flavor. Radishes are spicy, but there’s also a sweetness to them that lingers behind the peppery flavor.
Depending on the variety, some radishes are sweeter and some are spicier. The rounded red and pink radishes you see in bunches at the store have some sweetness and milder spice while black radishes are much hotter with a pinch of bitterness.
Can You Eat Raw Radishes?
Eating radishes raw is arguably the most well-known way of enjoying them. People adore the spicy flavor in their salads.
Though we tend to eat radishes raw, you can also cook with them. A cooked radish is a milder radish, much less spicy with a well-rounded earthiness and magnified sweetness.
A great way to eat radishes cooked is to add them to soups. Just slice them or dice them and throw them into the pot along with your other soup veggies. There’s also sauteing, grilling and roasting. There’s no wrong way to do it.
Check out our list of the best raw food cookbooks for vegans if you wanna dive into raw food diets.
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Radish Texture
Eating a fresh radish is a little like eating a really dense apple. It’s crisp and crunchy, though somewhat tougher than an apple. It’s moist and perfect for slicing and grating.
Cooked radishes are soft and tender but retain just a little snap. Really, radishes are lovely in both flavor and texture whether you eat them raw, boiled, roasted or sauteed.
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What Does Daikon Radish Taste Like?
Daikon radish looks like a long, white carrot, though it’s usually much larger. It has a delicate flavor, a little spicy but not nearly as hot as some of the smaller radish varieties.
The flavors in the crisp daikon radish are balanced, a little sweet, a little peppery and very slightly bitter. Pickling is a great way to prepare daikon radishes. Then you can add them to vegan banh mi sandwiches with pan-seared tofu and fresh cilantro. Yum.
Do Radishes Get Hotter with Age?
Some people assume that bigger radishes will be spicier, but interestingly, radishes can actually get hotter with age. The longer they stay in the ground, the more the natural spice-making chemicals in the radishes develop.
If you aren’t growing your own radishes, it’s best to stick with choosing them by variety to get the level of spice you’re looking for. Watermelon radish, which is greenish-white on the outside and gorgeously deep pink inside, is one of the sweetest radishes if you’re trying to avoid that sharp flavor.
Read Also: What Does Quince Taste Like?
How Do You Eat Radishes?
Looking for inventive ways to prepare radishes? Check out the videos below. They’ll show you how to cook with radishes in ways you might not have thought of before.
Here’s a super simple but absolutely delectable sauteed radish recipe with vegan butter, salt and pepper. Did you know you could eat radishes this way?
If you love pickled veggies, you’ve got to try pickled daikon. This recipe mixes diakon and carrots with sugar, salt, fresh ginger, garlic and vinegar. It’s really easy and the end result is crisp, tangy and flavorful.
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Trying to find a new indulgence to replace potato chips? Make radish chips. All you need are the following ingredients:
- Fresh radishes
- Vegan cooking spray (or oil to toss the radishes in)
- Salt and pepper
Wrap Up
Radishes are all different shapes, sizes and colors, and some are much spicier than others. They’re delicious raw, cooked or pickled and added to salads, soups, sandwiches, side dishes and main meals. They’re also fabulous all on their own, as in sauteed with a bit of vegan butter. Next time you see a bunch of radishes at the farmers market, you’ll know what to do.
Further Reading: What Does Radicchio Taste Like?
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
