Radish
Template:Short description {{#invoke:Hatnote|hatnote}} Template:Speciesbox The radish (Raphanus sativus) is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Originally domesticated in Asia, radishes are now grown and consumed globally. The radish is sometimes considered to form a species complex with the wild radish, and instead given the trinomial name Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus.<ref name="u427">Template:Cite report</ref>
Radishes are often used raw as a crunchy salad vegetable with a pungent, slightly spicy flavor, varying in intensity depending on its growing environment. There are numerous varieties varying in size, flavor, color, and length of time they take to mature. Radishes owe their sharp flavor to the various chemical compounds produced by the plants, including glucosinolate, myrosinase, and isothiocyanate. They are sometimes grown as companion plants and suffer from few pests and diseases. They germinate quickly and grow rapidly, common smaller varieties being ready for consumption within a month, while larger daikon varieties take several weeks. Being relatively easy to grow and quick to harvest, radishes are often planted by novice gardeners. Another use of radish is as a cover or catch crop in winter,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> or as a forage crop.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Some radishes are grown for their seeds; others, such as daikon, may be grown for oil production. Others are used for sprouting.
HistoryEdit
Varieties of radish are now broadly distributed globally, but almost no archeological records are available to help determine their early history and domestication.<ref name="Zohary 2000">Template:Cite book</ref> However, scientists have tentatively located the origin of Raphanus sativus in Southeast Asia, as this is the only region where truly wild forms have been discovered. India, central China, and Central Asia appear to have been secondary centers where differing forms were developed. Radishes enter the historical record in Template:Nowrap.<ref name="Lewis-Jones 1982">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Greek and Roman agriculturalists of the Template:Nowrap gave details of small, large, round, long, mild, and sharp varieties.<ref name=":0" /> The radish seems to have been one of the first European crops introduced to the Americas. A German botanist reported radishes of Template:Convert and roughly Template:Convert in length in 1544, although the only variety of that size today is the Japanese Sakurajima radish.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The large, mild, and white East Asian form was developed in China, though it is mostly associated in the West with the Japanese daikon, owing to Japanese agricultural development and larger exports.Template:Citation needed
FolkloreEdit
Asaph the Jew noted that the radish, particularly its leaves, may be useful in traditional medicine to increase mucus.<ref name=":1" /> During the Middle Ages, Ibn Wahshiyya considered it a component of poison antidotes, while Maimonides highlighted its possible uses as a treatment.<ref name=":1" /> Al-Warraq's 10th-century cookbook includes radish as a side dish for ostrich meat and an ingredient in a chicken dish called kardanāj.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref>
DescriptionEdit
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Radishes are annual or biennial brassicaceous crops grown for their swollen tap roots which can be globular, tapering, or cylindrical. The root skin colour ranges from white through pink, red, purple, yellow, and green to black, but the flesh is usually white. The roots obtain their color from anthocyanins. Red varieties use the anthocyanin pelargonidin as a pigment, and purple cultivars obtain their color from cyanidin.<ref name="NishioKitashiba2017" /> Smaller types have a few leaves about Template:Convert long with round roots up to Template:Convert in diameter or more slender, long roots up to Template:Convert long. Both of these are normally eaten raw in salads.<ref name="RHS">Template:Cite book</ref> A longer root form, including oriental radishes, daikon or mooli, and winter radishes, grows up to Template:Convert long with foliage about Template:Convert high with a spread of Template:Convert.<ref name="RHS" /> The flesh of radishes harvested timely is crisp and sweet, but becomes bitter and tough if the vegetable is left in the ground too long.<ref name="Vegetable Gardening 2000">Template:Cite book</ref> Leaves are arranged in a rosette. They have a lyrate shape, meaning they are divided pinnately with an enlarged terminal lobe and smaller lateral lobes. The white flowers are borne on a racemose inflorescence.<ref name="Gopalakrishnan 2007">Template:Cite book</ref> The fruits are small pods which can be eaten when young.<ref name="RHS" />
The radish is a diploid species, and has 18 chromosomes (2n=18).Template:Sfn It is estimated that the radish genome contains between 526 and 574 Mb.<ref name="NishioKitashiba2017">Template:Cite book</ref>
VarietiesEdit
| Cultivar | Image | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Red radish | File:Raphanus sativus var. sativus Radish ハツカダイコン廿日大根、二十日大根.JPG | Raphanus sativus var. sativus |
| Green radish | File:Green radish (34758437621).jpg | Raphanus sativus var. caudatus |
| Daikon | File:Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus (11729226275).jpg | Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus |
| Black radish | File:Rettichschwarzlang.jpg | Raphanus sativus var. niger |
| Oilseed radish | File:Raphanus sativus subsp. oleiferus inflorescense, Bladrammenas bloeiwijze (4).jpg | Raphanus sativus var. oleiformis |
| Wild radish | File:Raphanus sativus var raphanistroides2.jpg | Raphanus sativus var. raphanistroides |
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CultivationEdit
Radishes are a fast-growing, annual, cool-season crop. The seed germinates in three to four days in moist conditions with soil temperatures between Template:Convert. Best quality roots are obtained under moderate day lengths with air temperatures in the range Template:Convert. Under average conditions, the crop matures in 3–4 weeks, but in colder weather, 6–7 weeks may be required.<ref name=Seaman>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Homegrown varieties can be significantly sharper.
Radishes grow best in full sun in light, sandy loams, with a soil pH 6.5 to 7.0, but for late-season crops, a clayey-loam is ideal. Soils that bake dry and form a crust in dry weather are unsuitable and can impair germination.<ref name="beattie1938">Template:Cite book hosted by the University of North Texas Government Documents Department Template:Webarchive Documents A to Z Digitization Project website. Retrieved on 2014-07-29.</ref><ref name="faust1996">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="peterson1999">Peterson, Cass. "Radishes: Easy to Sprout, Hard to Grow Right" Template:Webarchive. The New York Times, May 2, 1999. Retrieved February 5, 2018.</ref> Harvesting periods can be extended by making repeat plantings, spaced a week or two apart. In warmer climates, radishes are normally planted in the autumn.<ref name="beattie1938" /> The depth at which seeds are planted affects the size of the root, from Template:Convert deep recommended for small radishes to Template:Convert for large radishes.<ref name="peterson1999" /> During the growing period, the crop needs to be thinned and weeds controlled, and irrigation may be required.<ref name="beattie1938" />
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Radishes are a common garden crop in many parts of the world, and the fast harvest cycle makes them particularly suitable for children's gardens.<ref name="faust1996" /> After harvesting, radishes can be stored without loss of quality for two or three days at room temperature, and about two months at Template:Convert with a relative humidity of 90–95%.<ref name="Gopalakrishnan 2007" />
Companion plantEdit
Radishes can be useful as companion plants for many other crops, probably because their pungent odour deters such insect pests as aphids, cucumber beetles, tomato hornworms, squash bugs, and ants.<ref name=EarthWood /> They can also function as a trap crop, luring insect pests away from the main crop.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Cucumbers and radishes seem to thrive when grown in close association with each other, and radishes also grow well with chervil, lettuce, peas, and nasturtiums. However, they react adversely to growing in close association with hyssop.<ref name=EarthWood>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
PestsEdit
As a fast-growing plant, diseases are not generally a problem with radishes, but some insect pests can be a nuisance. The larvae of flea beetles live in the soil, but the adult beetles cause damage to the crop, biting small "shot holes" in the leaves, especially of seedlings. The swede midge (Contarinia nasturtii) attacks the foliage and growing tip of the plant and causes distortion, multiple (or no) growing tips, and swollen or crinkled leaves and stems. The larvae of the cabbage root fly sometimes attack the roots. The foliage droops and becomes discoloured, and small, white maggots tunnel through the root, making it unattractive or inedible.<ref name=Seaman />
VarietiesEdit
Radishes can be categorized into four main types according to the seasons when they are grown and a variety of shapes, lengths, colors, and sizes, such as red, pink, white, gray-black, or yellow radishes, with round or elongated roots that can grow longer than a parsnip.
Spring or summer radishesEdit
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Sometimes referred to as European radishes or spring radishes if they are planted in cooler weather, summer radishes are generally small and have a relatively short three- to four-week cultivation time.<ref name="RHS" />
- The 'April Cross' is a giant white radish hybrid that bolts very slowly.
- 'Bunny Tail' is an heirloom variety from Italy, where it is known as Rosso Tondo A Piccola Punta Bianca. It is slightly oblong, mostly red, with a white tip.
- 'Cherry Belle' is a bright red-skinned round variety with a white interior.<ref name="faust1996" /> It is familiar in North American supermarkets.
- 'Champion' is round and red-skinned like the 'Cherry Belle', but with slightly larger roots, up to Template:Convert, and a milder flavor.<ref name="faust1996" />
- 'Red King' has a mild flavor, with good resistance to club root, a problem that can arise from poor drainage.<ref name="faust1996" />
- 'Sicily Giant' is a large heirloom variety from Sicily. It can reach up to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter.
- 'Snow Belle' is an all-white variety of radish, similar in shape to the 'Cherry Belle'.<ref name="faust1996" />
- 'White Icicle' or 'Icicle' is a white carrot-shaped variety, around Template:Convert long, dating back to the 16th century. It slices easily and has better than average resistance to pithiness.<ref name="faust1996" /><ref name="peterson1999" />
- 'French Breakfast' is an elongated, red-skinned radish with a white splash at the root end. It is typically slightly milder than other summer varieties but is among the quickest to turn pithy.<ref name="peterson1999" />
- 'Plum Purple', a purple-fuchsia radish, tends to stay crisp longer than average.<ref name="peterson1999" />
- 'Gala' and 'Roodbol' are two varieties popular in the Netherlands in a breakfast dish, thinly sliced on buttered bread.<ref name="faust1996" />
- 'Easter Egg' is not an actual variety, but a mix of varieties with different skin colors,<ref name="peterson1999" /> typically including white, pink, red, and purple radishes. Sold in markets or seed packets under the name, the seed mixes can extend harvesting duration from a single planting, as different varieties may mature at different times.<ref name="peterson1999" />
Winter varietiesEdit
'Black Spanish' or 'Black Spanish Round' occur in both round and elongated forms, and are sometimes simply called the black radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. niger (M.) S.K. or L. ssp. niger (M.). D.C. var. albus D.C) or known by the French name Gros Noir d'Hiver. It dates in Europe to 1548,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and was a common garden variety in England and France during the early 19th century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It has a rough, black skin with hot-flavored, white flesh, is round or irregularly pear shaped,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and grows to around Template:Convert in diameter.Template:Citation needed
Daikon refers to a wide variety of winter oilseed radishes from Asia. While the Japanese name daikon has been adopted in English, it is also sometimes called the Japanese radish, Chinese radish, Oriental radish, or mooli (in India and South Asia).<ref name="amher2004">Template:Cite book **McAffee warns that this site attempted to exploit a browser vulnerability.</ref> Daikons commonly have elongated white roots, although many varieties of daikon exist. One well-known variety is 'April Cross', with smooth white roots.<ref name="faust1996" /><ref name="peterson1999" /> The New York Times describes 'Masato Red' and 'Masato Green' varieties as extremely long, well-suited for fall planting and winter storage.<ref name="faust1996" /> The Sakurajima radish is a hot-flavored variety which is typically grown to around Template:Convert, but which can grow to Template:Convert when left in the ground.<ref name="faust1996" /><ref>(2002-02-10.) "29 kg radish wins contest."Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore Kyodo World News Service, via highbeam.com (fee for full access.) Retrieved on 2007-09-28.</ref>
Korean radish, also called mu({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), is a variety of white radish with firm crunchy texture.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although mu is also a generic term for radishes in Korean (as daikon is a generic term for radishes in Japanese), the word is usually used in its narrow sense, referring to Joseon radish({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Joseonmu). In Korean cuisine context, the word Joseon is often used in contrast to Wae, to distinguish Korean varieties from Japanese ones. The longer, thinner, and waterier Japanese daikon cultivated mainly for danmuji is referred to as Wae radish({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Waemu) in Korea. Korean radishes are generally shorter, stouter, and sturdier than daikon, and have pale green shade halfway down from the top. They also have stronger flavour, denser flesh, and softer leaves. The greens of Korean radishes are called mucheong({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and used as vegetable in various dishes.Template:Citation needed
Seed pod varietiesEdit
The seeds of radishes grow in siliques (widely referred to as "pods"), following flowering that happens when left to grow past their normal harvesting period. The seeds are edible and are sometimes used as a crunchy, sharp addition to salads.<ref name="peterson1999" /> Some varieties are grown specifically for their seeds or seed pods, rather than their roots. The rat-tailed radish, an old European variety thought to have come from East Asia centuries ago, has long, thin, curly pods that can exceed Template:Convert in length. In the 17th century, the pods were often pickled and served with meat.<ref name="peterson1999" /> The 'München Bier' variety supplies seed pods that are sometimes served raw as an accompaniment to beer in Germany.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ProductionEdit
Using 2003–4 data, several sources report annual world production of radishes to be about 7 million tonnes, produced mainly by China, Japan, and South Korea, and representing roughly 2% of global vegetable production.Template:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Nutritional valueEdit
Template:Nutritional value In a Template:Convert reference serving, raw radishes provide Template:Convert of food energy and have a moderate amount of vitamin C (18% of Daily Value), with other essential nutrients in low content (table). A raw radish is 95% water, 3% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and has negligible fat.
UsesEdit
CookingEdit
The most commonly eaten portion is the napiform or fusiform taproot, although the entire plant is edible and the tops can be used as a leaf vegetable. The seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw in a similar way to a mung bean.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The root of the radish is usually eaten raw, although tougher specimens can be steamed. The raw flesh has a crisp texture and a pungent, peppery flavor, caused by glucosinolates and the enzyme myrosinase, which combine when chewed to form allyl isothiocyanates, also present in mustard, horseradish, and wasabi.<ref name="IARC 2004">Template:Cite book</ref>
Radishes are mostly used in salads but also appear in many European dishes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In Mexican cuisine, sliced radishes are used in combination with shredded lettuce as garnish for traditional dishes such as tostadas, sopes, enchiladas and pozole.Template:Citation needed
Radish greens are usually discarded, but are edible and nutritious, and can be prepared in several ways.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The leaves are sometimes used in recipes, like potato soup or as a sauteed side dish. They are also found blended with fruit juices in some recipes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In Indian cuisine the seed pods are called "moongra" or "mogri" and can be used in many dishes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other usesEdit
The seeds of radishes can be pressed to extract radish seed oil. Wild radish seeds contain up to 48% oil, and while not suitable for human consumption, this oil is a potential source of biofuel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The daikon grows well in cool climates and, apart from its industrial use, can be used as a cover crop, grown to increase soil fertility, to scavenge nutrients, suppress weeds, help alleviate soil compaction, and prevent winter erosion of the soil.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
"Radi", a spiral-cut radish, served with salt and occasionally chives, is traditionally served with beer at the Bavarian Oktoberfest.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CultureEdit
The daikon varieties of radish are important parts of East, Southeast, and South Asian cuisine. In Japan and Korea, radish dolls are sometimes made as children's toys. Daikon is also one of the plants that make up the Japanese Festival of Seven Herbs (Nanakusa no sekku) on the seventh day after the new year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Citizens of Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrate the Night of the Radishes (Noche de los rábanos) on December 23 as a part of Christmas celebrations. This folk art competition uses a large type of radish up to Template:Convert long and weighing up to Template:Convert. Great skill and ingenuity are used to carve these into religious and popular figures, buildings, and other objects, and they are displayed in the town square.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GalleryEdit
- Daikon, Nara Prefecture, Japan.jpg
Daikon
- Gegeolmu (Korean radish).jpg
- Korean radish (mu).jpg
- Chinese radish p1150393.jpg
Watermelon radish
- Raphanus sativus-1.jpg
White and red
- Pannier de radis noir, roses et blancs.jpg
Black, white and red
- Raphanus sativus-2-xavier cottage-yercaud-salem-India.JPG
Sliced red
- Colourful radishes.jpg
Multiple colors
- CSIRO ScienceImage 2779 Radishes.jpg
Dark red
- Raphanus sativus var. sativus Radish ハツカダイコン廿日大根、二十日大根 DSCF6410.JPG
Harvesting red
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
Notes Template:Reflist
Bibliography
External linksEdit
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