What Is Daikon and How Can I Use It?

Common in traditional Japanese food and other Asian cuisines, daikon is a white, crunchy root vegetable that can brighten up meals, adding texture and sweet flavor to dishes and condiments. Cubed, grated or sliced, it adds bite and character to anything it's in.

What Is Daikon?

Daikon, sometimes called winter radish, is a root vegetable that is long and tubular. Daikon radishes have a crispy texture and are mild in flavor with a slightly peppery bite. They are commonly white in color with leafy green tops, but they come in a variety of colors and shapes.

Daikon vs. Radish

Daikon and radishes are from the same family, but there are a few differences. The red radishes we slice and toss into salads are much smaller and sharper in flavor than the radishes used in Japanese cuisine. Red radishes are peppery, whereas daikon radishes are mild and slightly sweet.

There is also mu, which is the Korean radish. The Korean radish is a type of daikon radish. It's similar to the long white Japanese radish, but it's shaped more like a potato. Another type of radish is called the watermelon radish, a variety of Chinese radish. It has the same texture and crunch as Japanese and red radishes but is green on the outside and pink on the inside, and has a mellower flavor.

Daikon Nutrition

Daikon is a low-calorie, nutritious vegetable. Every 1 cup of daikon contains:

• Calories: 21
• Carbohydrates: 4.76g
• Protein: 0.7g
• Fat: 0.11g
• Fiber: 1.86g (7% DV)
• Potassium: 263mg (8% DV)
• Vitamin C: 25.5mg (42% DV)
• Folate: 32mcg (8% DV)
• Calcium: 31mg (3% DV)
• Magnesium: 19mg (5% DV)

Daikon Health Benefits

Daikon has about three-quarters of the potassium of a banana and half the amount of vitamin C in an orange. It also contains small amounts of fiber, folate, calcium and magnesium. With its decent amount of nutrients, daikon may offer some health benefits.

Promotes Wound Healing

Daikon is an excellent source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that promotes wound healing, collagen production and more.

Protects Against Cell Damage

In addition to being a water-soluble vitamin, vitamin C is also an antioxidant that may protect cells from damage by free radicals. These molecules may harm the body when their levels get too high. Research suggests that a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables, including daikon, may reduce cancer risk.

May Help Stabilize Blood Sugar

Daikon, a non-starchy vegetable, has minimal carbohydrates, making it an ideal vegetable for people with diabetes to include in their diet. It is also low on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly a food will raise blood sugar. It has been noted in research that eating non-starchy vegetables with a low glycemic index are ideal to include in the diets of individuals with type 2 diabetes, as they can help with blood sugar control.

Cooking with Daikon

There are many ways to serve white radishes—cooked or raw. Raw daikon works well in salads and slaws, as a side dish for summer picnics or thinly sliced and pickled for sandwiches that need a pick-me-up (a classic Vietnamese banh mi sandwich is typically topped with pickled carrots and daikon, for example). It's also great in stir-fries cooked with meat—cooking radishes yields soft, starchy chunks similar to potatoes. You can also swap out red radishes for daikon in many recipes.