Radish, Oriental, or Daikon

Until very recently reserved for Oriental markets, these large radishes are gradually becoming familiar in the general American marketplace. While size, color, and textural differences exist among the many radishes that are cultivated for the tables of the Orient (the probable birthplace of all of them), when it comes to culinary use, they have more in common than not. Botanically, all are members of the same group as our cheery red ball of a radish (the vast Crucifer, or Mustard, family), even if they don’t look as though they should be.