Celebrated for its impressive versatility, daikon can be simmered in stews, lightly pickled as a refreshing side, or finely shredded into salads and garnishes. It adapts effortlessly to a wide range of dishes and cooking methods.
Daikon is a root vegetable that plays a fundamental role in Japanese cuisine. It has many health benefits including:
- Support immune function
- Digestive health
- Heart health
- Cellular repair
What many people don’t realise is that a single daikon has four distinct parts, each with its own characteristics and ideal culinary uses. In this post, we’ll explore how to make the most of this humble yet powerful ingredient.
This handy guide shows that different parts of the daikon have different flavours and textures, making each section ideal for specific dishes.
The Leaves
The leaves are full of nutrition, so don’t throw them away! You can eat them in many different dishes, but it is always best to chop them up finely as they are quite tough and fibrous. I like to include them in stir fries, soups or eat it lightly steamed.
The Head
This part of the vegetable has the sweetest flavour, it is very moist and soft which means it is perfect for eating raw or for use in salads. It can also be used to make daikon oroshi, however for a stronger sharper flavour the tail of the daikon is usually used for the condiment, you can still make mild daikon oroshi from the head of the daikon. My favourite way to eat the head of the daikon is daikon and edamame salad with ume dressing. You can create this nutritious dish at our Izakaya class / Japanese basic intensive class!
Daikon and edamame salad using the head of the daikon, the sweetest part.
The Middle
The middle of the daikon has an even texture, most common uses include making stir fry, stew and soup. Check out my gut-friendly meal on Instagram HERE, featuring the middle of the daikon!
Stir fried noodle using the middle part of daikon.
The Tail
The tail of daikon has the sharpest taste and the most fibrous texture. The most common use for this in Japan is daikon oroshi which is used as a condiment on the side of many dishes. It has a strong and sharp taste and is the best way to eat daikon as this creates the most health benefits. Daikon oroshi is used as a condiment in so many different dishes because it helps break down protein, sugar (carbohydrate) and oil. Recently I put daikon oroshi on top of tofu steak, the protein rich food !
Daikon oroshi, the perfect natural digestant that break down protein!
Wow! Daikon has so many different flavours and textures which means that you have endless ways to experiment with daikon to find your favourite way to eat it. If you are looking for more recipes that include daikon, check out my Japanese Superfoods Cookbook, it is packed with many different recipes to try with daikon!
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