daikon The Japanese name for the long white radish widely used in Japan is daikon. It is very like the radish known in North America as icicle radish. It is also closely related to the white radishes of India (known as mooli in Hindi) and of Central Asia. Daikon can be eaten raw or cooked and is very commonly used as a pickle. It keeps well in the refrigerator. In Japan, it grows in both summer and winter; it is hot (spicy) in the summer, sweet in the winter. The tip of a daikon radish (one third to one quarter of its length) is spicier-tasting than the rest, almost hot: Use it in soups and stir-fries, and use the milder midsection and top for grating and pickles. (Sometimes you can buy daikon in sections, especially in Chinese and Japanese shops.) For a simple condiment, finely grate daikon, and drizzle soy sauce over it.
