Daikon vs. Radish – What’s The Difference?

Vegetables are highly recommended and very nutritious. The food guide pyramid recommends at least three to four times consumption of veggies in a week. Vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which nourish your body and help the body grow.

Daikon and radish belong to the same family, but there are some differences between them. Let’s start with the similarities, which include both can be added in salads and both have a sharp taste. Radish is famous in Korean cuisine, while daikon is famous in Japanese cuisine.

When the word radish comes to mind, all we can think of is a red root having a peppery white interior, and every person loves radish all around the world. Similarly, if you are a fan of Japanese cuisine, you would surely be familiar with daikon.

Daikon and radish both are a close call. Daikon is consumed in winters and looks more like carrot, while radish looks like a small red bulb. Daikon is sweeter and juicer, while radish has a peppery taste with a spicy touch.

To help you know them both in more detail, we have mentioned all the basic information related to radish and daikon.

Radish

Radish belongs to the family of broccoli and cabbage. Radish comes in many sizes, shapes and colors, but the most common one is a small red-colored one. White and purple radish also exist, which are grown and utilized in some parts of the world.

Radish is quick to grow and can be grown in homes. They can be stored for longer if they are not exposed to moisture; otherwise, they will grow soft. The radish taste is peppery and milder, or we can say pungent taste.

Nutritional facts

One medium radish, which weighs about four and a half grams, contains:

• 1 kcal calories
• 0 g Fats
• 2 mg Sodium
• 10 mg Potassium
• 0 g Proteins
• 1% Vitamin C

Radish Recipes

The most commonly used way of consuming radish is to consume it in raw form, but some of the other ways in which one can consume radish are:

1. Add it to salad to provide a peppery taste.
2. Cook radish with coleslaw
3. Add it into egg or chicken salad in diced form
4. Add it into sandwiches and burgers
5. It can be consumed in pasta sauce

Health benefits

There are many health benefits of radish, out of which some are mentioned below.

1. Radish is a good source of antioxidants like pyrogallol, catechins, and other phenolic compounds.
2. As radish is a root veggie and all root veggies are a good source of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant and protects cells against damage.
3. Radish contains glycosylate and isothiocyanate, which maintains blood sugar level.
4. Radish enhances the production of adiponectin in the body which protects the body from insulin resistance.
5. Coenzyme Q 10 is also present in radish, which helps overcome diabetes.
6. The indole-3-carbinol and 4-methylthio-3-butenyl-isothiocyanate help the liver detoxify the harmful compounds and heal the damage already done.

As we have looked deeply at the nutritional properties and facts related to radish, now let’s dig deep into daikon health benefits and nutritional facts.

Daikon

Daikon is also called Japanese radish or white carrot. The daikon is grown in winters, and they take a long time to grow fully. Daikon needs to be stored in the optimum atmosphere not to dry out.

The green top part of the daikon draws the moisture from roots, so that’s why it is recommended to cut the green top and store the daikon in the refrigerator. The taste of daikon is crispy and juicy. Daikon is delicious and can be consumed in salads.

Nutritional Facts

One seven-inch-long daikon that weights 338 grams contains:

• 61 kcal Calories
• 3 g Fats
• 0 g Cholesterol
• 71 mg Sodium
• 767 g Potassium
• 14 g Carbs
• 2 g Proteins
• 124% Vitamin C
• 7% Iron
• 10% Vitamin B6
• 13% Magnesium

Daikon Recipes

Daikon is very famous in Japanese and Asian cuisine. It can be cooked, pickled and consumed in raw form. Some of the recipes in which daikon can be consumed are mentioned below.

1. Pickle formation also enhances the shelf life and preserves the daikon to be consumed later on.
2. Ferment the daikon into kimchi and enjoy it in the form of a side dish
3. Slice it and consume it along with the main course meal
4. Consume it in the form of salad
5. It can be added in stew and soups

Health benefits

Daikon is a nutrient-dense veggie and has many health benefits. Some of them are mentioned below.

1. Daikon contains polyphenol antioxidant and quercetin, which have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.
2. Cruciferous veggies like daikon contain a compound known as glucosinolates which fight against cancer.
3. Daikon is a non-starchy veggie that contains less amount of carbs and hence more fiber content which helps in weight loss. Daikon is fulfilling, but they have fewer calories. That’s why they are called nutrient-dense vegetables.
4. Daikon contains vitamins, fiber, and minerals, which fight against disease and boost immunity.
5. Daikon shows a long-term impact on certain diseases like cancer, heart diseases, diabetes and neurodegenerative ones.

So what’s the difference between Radish and Daikon?

As we have seen radish and daikon individually, let’s summarize the article and mention the key points that help differentiate between the both. Before starting with that, let us clarify one thing: neither of the two is better than each other, but both share their unique properties and health benefits.

1. The taste of daikon is sweeter and less spicy than the taste of radish, which is peppery and sour.
2. Daikon takes a long to grow as compared to radish.
3. Radish contains fewer calories as compared to daikon.
4. The carb amount present in radish is more than that present in daikon.
5. Radish contains more proteins than that present in daikon.
6. Daikon is enriched in vitamin C, vitamin B1 and folate, while radish is enriched with vitamin K, vitamin B5 and B6 and Vitamin A.

Sources:

• Foodguys
• suive
• Foodstruct