The most popular root crops in our latitudes are beets, carrots, parsnips. Few have heard of such a miracle vegetable as a daikon. And so sorry. Chinese or Japanese radish does not contain bitterness, which is present in most varieties of radishes, and is famous for its productivity. In addition, the beneficial properties of daikon will not leave indifferent connoisseurs of a healthy lifestyle.
External characteristics
Translated from Japanese, the name of the vegetable translates as "big root". It should be noted that the daikon deserves such a big name, because its fruits weigh on average 600-700 g, and the size in length reaches half a meter. Bred it by selection from a simple forehead radish in China.
External characteristics are not much similar to the radishes familiar to all. Similarities are observed more likely with carrots, but unlike her, daikon is white. Japanese radish belongs to the cabbage family, a subspecies of the sowing radish.
Growing Secrets
About the beneficial properties of daikon began to speak at about the same time when Japanese sushi and other east-national fast food began to popularize in our country. Each Russian summer resident considered it his duty to grow a white radish on the garden. In addition, it is not difficult to do this, it is enough to know a few nuances:
- Seeds should be sown in open ground, starting in mid-March, ending in early April. The main thing is that the air temperature be more than 10ºC and the earth warms up well.
- If we talk about growing in greenhouses, the vegetable grows well in them all year round.
- Immediately before sowing, the seeds should be warmed up. To do this, fill them with warm water (50ºC) for 20 minutes.
- After warming up, the seeds should be immediately cooled in ice water, and then kept for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- It is best to daikon radish, the beneficial properties of which are widely known, to sow in moist soil to a depth of about 2 cm.
These guidelines will help you.
Useful properties of daikon
Like most other radish varieties, white root crops are known for their ability to find and remove toxins. Surprisingly, during ripening, the radish does not absorb nitrates and other chemically harmful components from the soil, and such a product is still worth looking for!
Daikon copes well with cleansing the intestines and liver, and also dissolves renal sand and small pebbles. Useful properties of daikon are also in the fight against a morning hangover: a salad with white radish will easily relieve headaches, calm the stomach, remove toxins from the body and allow you to enjoy the joys of life.
If you apply radish externally, it will help with wound healing, as well as during the disease with furunculosis. In Japan, where raw fish is considered the national dish, the antiparasitic properties of daikon were appreciated.
The chemical composition of radishes
If we talk about such a unique vegetable as daikon, whose beneficial properties and contraindications are due to its chemical composition, you should understand in more detail what it consists of. Let's find out why the white radish has earned the recognition of doctors, as well as a place of honor on the dining table.
Daikon consists of:
- Vitamins:
- C, responsible for the immune system and the fight against free radicals;
- B2 - helps to improve vision and cell regeneration;
- B1 - beneficial effect on nerve cells and muscles;
- PP (nicotinic acid) - activates the metabolism of carbohydrates, balances the cholesterol content;
- B6, which is involved in metabolic processes, and also performs a restoring function after injuries and the use of antibiotics;
- B9 (folic acid), due to which white blood cells form;
- K, on which liver health and blood coagulation processes depend.
- Trace elements:
- copper - helps to increase hemoglobin, improve the condition of the skin, fights sclerosis;
- potassium - a good metabolism depends on it;
- calcium - necessary for bone growth, is also able to lower cholesterol;
- magnesium - beneficially affects the work of the heart and the entire cardiovascular system;
- iron - increases the level of red blood cells, improves immunity.
In addition to the above wealth, daikon radish has beneficial properties due to the content of volatile, glycosides and lysozymes that can overcome fungi and viruses.
Calorie content
95% daikon consists of water, the rest is carbohydrates and proteins. 100 g of vegetable contains only 16 kcal. If you add to this fact the absence of fats, such characteristics bring daikon radish to a leading position among dietary products. Thanks to fiber and excellent anti-toxic abilities, white radish is able to effectively fight excess weight.
Side effects
Using any, even the most harmless product, you always need to do this with the mind and a sense of proportion. No matter how useful the daikon radish is, useful properties and contraindications go hand in hand and depend on moderate use. As mentioned above, white radish is able to remove stones and sand from the kidneys. But along with this, they should not get carried away during attacks or exacerbations of urolithiasis. Radish juice will also be harmful to people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The content of coarse fibers and fiber will also negatively affect the process of digestion of food, especially with peptic ulcer and gastritis.
Cooking Application
Much has been said about daikon and beneficial properties. Recipes using this product are very popular among people who care about their health. The main distinguishing feature of the product is its mild taste, in which bitterness is practically absent. This fact in itself is surprising, given that it is a radish.
What just do not do with the daikon! It is boiled, steamed, dried, stewed, baked pies and eaten raw. A truly versatile product. Even if you do not take into account daikon useful properties and contraindications. Recipes using white radish are a decent amount. The simplest of these is the salad, which will be ready after rubbing the radish and mixing with vegetable oil. Even in such an elementary form, the product will be tasty and give a side dish to piquancy.
Product Storage Secrets
Given the usefulness of white radish, of course, I would like to know how to save it for a long time. The main rule in this matter is the choice of variety. Fruits grown in the summer should be eaten immediately, but winter varieties can also lie down. To do this, be sure to remove the tops, rinse the vegetables, dry and only after such thorough procedures put in a dark cool place.
The temperature regime, which ranges from 0ºC to 5ºC, should also be observed. Please note that exposure to white radishes will ruin the product. It is important to ensure high humidity in the daikon storage area.
Treat for rodents
To store radish vegetables in the cellar, you must prepare the appropriate container. It can be small, about 20 cm tall, boxes. For better preservation, layers of radish are sprinkled with sand. It is allowed to keep the vegetable mixed with carrots.
Mice and rats really like Daikon, so you should periodically look at the contents of the boxes for damage. If any are found, vegetables are seized and thrown away.
To store Japanese radishes on the balcony, you need to pre-warm it. Low temperature will negatively affect the condition of the fruit.
Useful advantage
For some, storing white radish may seem too troublesome. But it's worth it. After all, the product has one important advantage over other vegetables. The fact is that during the spring vitamin deficiency, when most products lose their beneficial properties, daikon enzymes begin to become more active. Against the background of a lack of vitamins and minerals, white radish looks like a real storehouse of nutrients.
The Japanese cook soups with daikon. The Chinese love to bake pies with white radish. The root crop itself is mainly consumed, but tasty stewed and fried dishes are also prepared from the tops. Eating a fresh vegetable, just rub it on a grater and the salad is ready. The only rule in this case is to eat freshly cooked radish, because after a while the useful properties of the daikon are lost.
Due to its special, mild taste, white radish goes well with many other products. That is why daikon is so loved by cooks of all countries. With its help, you can cook a lot of various delicacies that will be not only tasty, but also healthy. Take care of yourself, your health and the health of loved ones. Enjoy your meal!