Daikon

Daikon (Japanese for ‘big root’) or mooli, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, napiform root (other names are listed below). Originally native to continental East Asia,[2] daikon is harvested and consumed throughout the region, as well as in South Asia, and is now available internationally. In some locations daikon is planted for its ability to break up compacted soils and recover nutrients, but not harvested.

In culinary contexts, daikon (from Japanese 大根, daikon) or daikon radish are the most common names in all forms of English. Historical ties to South Asia permit mooli (from its Hindi/Panjabi name and also in Urdu) as a general synonym in English.[4][5] The generic terms white radish, winter radish, Oriental radish,[6] long white radish, and other terms are also used. Other synonyms usually vary by region or describe regional varieties of the vegetable. When it is necessary to distinguish the usual Japanese form from others, it is sometimes known as Japanese radish.[7][8]

The vegetable’s Mandarin names are still uncommon in English; in most forms of Chinese cuisine, it is usually known as báiluóbo, Chinese white radish,[7] although in Cantonese and Malaysian cuisine, it is encountered as lobak or lo pak, which are Cantonese pronunciations of the general Chinese term for “radish” or “carrot” (萝卜). In the cuisines of Hokkien and Teochew dialect-speaking areas such as Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan, it is also known as chai tow or chai tau (菜头). In any of these, it may also simply be referred to as “radish”, with the regional variety implied by context. In English-speaking countries, it is also sometimes marketed as icicle radish.[citation needed]

In mainland China and Singapore, the calque white carrot or misnomer carrot is sometimes used, owing to the similarity of the vegetables’ names in Mandarin and Hokkien. This variant gave the title to a popular guidebook on Singaporean street food, There’s No Carrot in Carrot Cake, which refers to chai tow kway, a kind of cake made from daikon.[9]

In North America, it is primarily grown not for food, but as a fallow crop, with the roots left unharvested to prevent soil compaction; the leaves (if harvested) are used as animal fodder.[10] The official general name used by the United States Department of Agriculture is oilseed radish, but this is only used in non-culinary contexts. Other English terms employed when daikon is being used as animal feed or as a soil ripper are “forage radish”, “fodder radish”, and “tillage radish”.[10][11]

In Hong Kong, it is also known as a turnip, and lends its name to turnip cake.[12]