Whenever I bite into a hot, crunchy piece of Korean fried chicken, I first shed one tear of joy, then immediately look for its well-suited chaser: pickled daikon radish. Those crispy, garlicky, soy-glazed wings are just not complete without the cool, tart, and sweet snap of pickled radishes. But what is daikon, exactly? Get to know this nutritious, crunchy, refreshing vegetable, and learn how to make it the star of the show with my version of the red braised daikon.
What is daikon?
Daikon radishes are believed to be native to the Mediterranean and coastal regions along the Black Sea. The mild roots were introduced to Asia through trade routes in ancient times and were estimated to have arrived in China sometime around 500 BCE and later in Japan. Daikon radishes became widely cultivated throughout Japan during the Edo period and were planted on farmland as a long-storing vegetable utilized during seasons of famine. Over time, Daikon radishes were intertwined into the traditional diets of many different Asian cultures, and the versatile root is still a staple ingredient found throughout Asia and Southeast Asia.
It sort of resembles an extra-extra large carrot and, like many radish varieties, it’s nutritious, crunchy, refreshing, and takes on different consistencies and flavors depending on how it’s cooked.
The word daikon is Japanese: Dai means “big” or “great”; kon means “root.” Combined, this translates to…well, “big root.” Its rounder Korean cousin is named mu. Another close relative, the vibrantly hued watermelon radish, originated in China. In Cantonese, daikon is called lo bak. The Mandarin equivalent is luo bo—but in some parts of China, daikon radishes are actually called turnips. In South Asian countries, daikon is often called mooli. And because daikon can withstand cold temperatures, the crop is sometimes referred to as winter radishes.
What do I look for when shopping for daikon?
When I first came to Canada in 2015, it was almost impossible to find daikon in our conventional big trio of grocery oligopoly stores. Thus, it would not be a strange sign to spot me carrying a suitcase worth of Chinese and other ethnic groceries and spices back from my monthly trip to Toronto. Luckily, daikon radishes are becoming easier to find across North America.
Despite being a year-round vegetable, the main harvest season starts in late fall through winter. Thus, if you would like to experience the peak flavour of this treasure, definitely pick it up during the colder months.
How do you know which one to buy?
If the tops are still attached, look for bright, lively green leaves; most often, this will indicate a fresh and firm daikon. If the leaves have been cut off, feel the daikon; it should be firm to the touch. Look out for soft spots and bruises. If the daikon feels at all soft or squishy, then it’s most likely old and drying out—that daikon would not make it into my mother’s shopping cart, and it shouldn’t make it into yours either.
↓↓↓ No, these are not potatoes… but probably just if not more delicious :D↓↓↓
Daikon, a humble yet versatile root vegetable, often plays a supporting role in many dishes. But here, it takes center stage, pairing Japanese braised daikon preparation with a traditional Chinese red-braising technique to create a tender cooked radish with deep sweetness.
Because daikon is harvested and sold at a huge range of stages of its growth cycle, the quality of braised daikon dishes can vary.
There are a couple of ways to prevent any bitterness:
First, select relatively younger daikons and not ones as large as a forearm. Fresh daikon should be firm and heavy for its size.
Second, peel the daikon past its initial layer until the skin is translucent.
Third, borrowing a Japanese technique for dashi-braised daikon, furofuki daikon ふろふき大根, the daikon is first cooked gently with rice. The starches in the liquid will help neutralize the bitterness and pepperiness that come from the mustard oils present in the radish.
After the initial simmering with rice, the daikon is already tender and almost ready to eat. The second cook, the red-braising, aims to infuse the daikon with caramelized flavour, built off of a combination of three soy sauces: light soy sauce for soy flavour and sodium, seasoning soy sauce for umami, and dark soy sauce for colour. But even without the red-braising, the simmered daikon can be used for various other braised dishes, Chinese or otherwise.
Ingredients:
1 daikon (about 450 grams; 1 pound)
1 tablespoon (about 11 grams) uncooked rice
1 1/2-inch knob fresh ginger (about ½ ounce; 15 grams), smashed and sliced thinly
2 scallions (around 1 ounce; 30 grams), chopped into ½-inch segments
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 tablespoon (around 5 grams) dried Szechuan peppercorns
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
1 tablespoon (30 grams) light soy sauce, preferably reduced sodium
1 tablespoon (15 grams) dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 grams) seasoning sauce
1 tablespoon (15 grams) oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon (10 grams) corn starch or potato starch
Instruction:
Step 1
1/4: First, process the daikon. Slice off the stem and tip. Using a y-peeler, peel the daikon until no veins are visible. Cut the daikon into ½-inch-thick disks. Using the peeler again, chamfer the top and bottom edges, rounding them off to prevent the edges of the daikon from chipping during the cook. Finally, cut shallow ⅛-inch crosses along the diameter of one side of the daikon to allow for flavour penetration.
Step 2
Place the daikon in a medium pot with the rice. Cover with cold water by 1 inch and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the daikon, uncovered, for 30 minutes until barely fork tender. Strain and remove the daikon from the pot and set aside. Discard the liquid and the rice.
Step 3
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet or a wok over medium-high heat until barely smoking. Turn to medium. Add the ginger, scallions, garlic, and Szechuan peppercorn. Stir-fry until aromatic and golden brown, about 1 minute. Carefully watch for splatter, add water, and bring to a boil. Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, seasoning sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Mix to combine. Add the par-cooked daikon into the pot and cook, maintaining a simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the daikon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Step 4
To finish the dish, thicken the sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary. In a small bowl, combine the starch and water to form a slurry. Bring the sauce to a boil and add the starch slurry, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Ladle the sauce over the cooked daikon and serve warm with warm rice.
^ This is the consistency of the final glaze I like to aim for :)
-JC
I've never cooked with diakon except for an indian vegetable dish. I'm going to give it a try now.