Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Daikon... to dai or not to dai?


Daikon (だいこん?) (from Japanese daikon (大根), literally "large root") is a mild-flavored East Asian giant white radish.
Although there are many varieties of daikon, the most common in Japan, the Aokubi Daikon, has the shape of a giant carrot, approximately 20 to 35 cm (8 to 14 inches) long and 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) in diameter. One of the most unlikely shaped daikon is Sakurajima daikon from Kagoshima Prefecture that is shaped like an oversized turnip with white outside and bright pink inside.
The flavor is generally rather mild compared to other small radishes.
(Above information including image, is credited fully to Wikipedia)

A friend's mom just returned from Hokkaido lugging 6 huge daikons.
This blessed bud of mine hauled it to office for me... I have just written to an esteemed Japanese Food Blogger (whom I refer to for Japanese woes) asking for advice on how to cook this giant white radish.

Stay tuned...
Woot!