Daikon can be eaten in fresh, boiled and pickled way. Its roots and tops are rich with nutritients. The name daikon appeared in the Edo period. Daikon becomes to be a product of long storage in pickled way. Daikon is rich with digestive enzymes. The roots contain vitamin C, diastase and other ferments, which promote digestion. Arilizotiozinath (component of mustard oil) gives radish bitterness. This substance promotes allocation of gastric juice and stops allocation of humidity.

The top part of daikon's roots is eaten in fresh way. It is also used as seasoning for sashimi and can be pickled in rice bran. The central part is much sweeter. Using this part people cook furofuki (boiled daikon with seasoning made of miso). Daikon root is very bitter on tip. That's why people use this part of root for cooking seasonings or for pickling. People usually fry the top of daikon in oil and use in cooking tsukudani.

Ha-daikon (leaf daikon). In cooking they use only top of ha-daikon. You can also use a young top of usual daikon. If you cook grated daikon, we recommend you to use a cooper grater. This grater is quite expensive. But it has special chisels, which keep all the cells. So grated daikon has its usual taste.

Shogoin daikon

Shogoin daikon. The temple called Shogoin (situated in Kyoto prefecture) is the place of "birth" of this daikon. This is the traditional vegetable of Kyoto. It has round shape, its weight is about 2 kilograms. Fruit is fleshy and sweet. It is used in cooking of furofuki and other boiled dishes.

Sakurajima-daikon. The biggest daikon in the world. The ground consists of volcanic ashes of Sakurajima volcano, which is situated in Kagoshima prefecture. Daikon shape may remind a turnip. Its weight is about 15 kilograms. But there are some copies of 30 kilograms.

Takuan-zuke is the most popular type of pickled daikon. Daikon is washed in water. Then some scratches are put on peel (using shark skin). Daikon is left on cold wind for 10 days or 2 months. But if it rains, some spots may appear. That's why it's necessary to watch the weather. Aristocrats and admirers of tea ceremonies have been always liked the daikon from Kyoto. Now Kyoto is famous with its pickled daikon called bettara.

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