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Cooking with Daikon
by Jackie Miyasaka, from the February 2003 newsletter
The Japanese giant white radish is commonly known as daikon, "dai"
meaning large and "kon" meaning root. The name is indicative of its
size, which ranges from six inches to three feet depending on the variety. The
variety that we usually see in the United States is a one-foot-long radish that
is two to three inches in diameter.
The daikon is said to have originated in the Mediterranean and reached Japan by way of China, along with rice cultivation methods, nearly 2,000 years ago. Today, more land in Japan is devoted to the cultivation of daikon than any other vegetable. Perhaps this is because daikon is one of the best vegetables for storage. Unbruised daikon will keep for at least four months in a cool root cellar. Traditionally, therefore, Japanese would reserve one-third of the crop for storage and preserve the remaining two-thirds by pickling and drying. Pickled daikon and reconstituted daikon dishes would ensure a source of vitamin C for farmers throughout the dead of winter.
It is not hard to imagine, then, that the daikon appears in one form or another at almost every Japanese meal. It is an extremely versatile vegetable, and everything is utilized, from the top green leaves to the root. Unfortunately, the leaves, which are a good source of vitamin A, are often cut off before daikon reach the supermarket shelf. However, if you are lucky enough to find whole daikon with the leaves still attached, they may be cut into bite-size pieces and then stir-fried or used in soup or salad.
The root itself is low in calories and rich in digestive enzymes and vitamin C. One serving of daikon provides roughly one-third of the body's daily vitamin C requirement. The flavor is slightly different depending on the part of the root. The top thickest part of the root is sweeter and thus best used raw. It may be cut into match-like strips and used in salads, or it may be finely grated (grating in a circular motion on a porcelain grater works best, but the smallest spike-like side of an ordinary metal grater will also do), sprinkled with soy sauce and spooned over fried foods, grilled fish, or even steak. The bottom part of the root, which is more pungent, is good for stir-frying, simmering, and pickling. This is the part that is perfect in the much beloved hot daikon stews of winter. (In fact, as the weather becomes cooler, the daikon's flavor becomes less sharp and sweeter.)
When you buy daikon, choose a hard, moist root that is without cracks, unwrinkled, and heavy for its size. Keep uncut daikon in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. After cutting the root, wrap it in plastic wrap. Use daikon within one week of purchasing. Upon cutting, daikon should be crisp and juicy, like an apple.
Rice Stew with Daikon (Daikon Zosui)
Serves 5
2 ½ cups cooked short-grain rice*
¾ cup shiitake mushrooms*
1 ½ cups daikon (about a four-inch-long chunk), sliced as directed*
¼ cup carrots, sliced as directed*
½ cup Wakame, soaked five minutes in cold water to cover, then chopped into one-inch long pieces (discard soaking water)
5 cups fish stock (if unavailable, use chicken or vegetable stock)*
1 teaspoon salt*
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce*
Peel the daikon and carrot, and slice into two-inch-long by one-half-inch wide ribbons that are no more than one-eighth-inch thick. Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms also. Heat the stock in a soup pan with the daikon and carrot, and cook until the vegetables have softened, around 10 minutes. Add the cooked rice, mushrooms and wakame, and bring to the boil again, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and soy sauce. Eat hot. Partners well with Daikon Pickles. (Note: Be careful not to cook the rice too long; otherwise, it will end up the unappetizing consistency of glue.)
Quick Daikon Pickles
1 ½ cups daikon, sliced into match-like strips*
½ cup hothouse cucumber, seeds removed, sliced into match-like strips
½ teaspoon freshly minced lemon peel*
Piece of kombu, around 4 inches long and 1 inch wide*
1 teaspoon salt*
Soy sauce, to taste*
Put the daikon and cucumber into a plastic bag. Break the kombu into one-to-two-inch slivers, and add to the plastic bag. Sprinkle with salt and lemon peel. Close plastic bag. Work salt into vegetables by squeezing them in the plastic bag. Lay the bag flat and place two 16-ounce cans on top of the closed bag, spreading the weight over the vegetables inside. Let stand two hours. Remove vegetables from bag. Gently squeeze out water. Sprinkle with a little soy sauce. Enjoy with rice.
* Items available at Moscow Food Co-op
Jackie Miyasaka lives in Pullman with her husband and works as a freelance Japanese-English translator.
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