Radish Raphanus sativus - Daikon, Mooli, Spring radish Commonly taken to mean the swollen parts of the roots of a family of cruciferous plants which are related to cabbage, turnip, horseradish, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc. The plant is thought to be an ‘Old World’ native from a region which stretches to as far as Japan, but it is difficult to pinpoint where it first occurred accurately as it has been used from the Mediterranean to the Orient as far back as it is possible to trace. Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BC, includes the radish in the list of vegetables which were supposed to have been used by the Egyptians to fed the slaves who built the Great Pyramid. The botanical name is from the Greek, raphanos, and the Latin raphanus, both versions of the same word which these ancient societies used to describe any of the radish family known to them at the time. The Common word, radish, however, is a direct descendent of the Latin radix, meaning root. It reached Britain in the mid-16th century and by 1633 Gerard was able to record four varieties of radish; to be made into a sauce to accompany meats and to stimulate the appetite, eaten raw with bread. This latter practice survived quite a while in the case of the small red spring radish, packed as it is with similar glucosides to mustard, giving it a sharp peppery tang, which would also be covered in butter and salt before eating with the bread. The larger radishes, known as Mooli in much of Asia, Chinese Icicle Radish in America, where they were taken by Iberian explorers in the 17th century, or daikon in Japan, are long and white, shaped like large carrots. They are valued for their ability to withstand long cooking without losing shape or too much texture, and for their ability to absorb flavours whilst retaining their individual character. Always used peeled, they are used in much the same way as potatoes, carrots or turnips. Radish is a useful source of vitamin C, necessary for the production of collagen which is used in skin, bone, cartilage, teeth and gum development and in the healing process. They are also low in fat and calories and have been used in herbalism as a diuretic, so, although an ideal light snack for slimmers, they are not to be overdone. In Ayurveda, the ancient Indian holistic method of balancing one’s life and health, the radish and its relations are listed in the pungent category; seen as cleansing, increasing the flow of saliva, hence aiding digestion, absorbing excess liquids and used sometimes as a gentle expectorant. Interestingly, Romany gypsies, who can trace their ancestry back to the same roots as these practitioners, use horseradish juice, a plant which is another member of this cruciferous group, mixed with honey, as a treatment for bronchial complaints. Unani Tibb, the dietetic and medicinal school set up by the Persian healer Avicenna more that 1,000 years ago, also value the radish for its medicinal properties. Among the uses listed by the hakims are to combat coughs, rheumatism, gallbladder problems, flatulence, diarrhoea, headache and insomnia. Its juice is also used as a mouth cleanser in Tibb to prevent dental caries. It was also grown as a ‘proper’ vegetable, for its leaves as well as the root, as the daikon still is and the beta-carotene commonly found in such dark, green leaves, is known to be a powerful antioxidant, and is under investigation by several study groups for its ability to either combat or prevent many types of cancers. 100g red, raw radish = 15 kcalories, 93.3g water, 1.0g fibre, 2.8g carbohydrate, 1mg protein, 59mg sodium, 240mg potassium, 44mg calcium, 11mg magnesium, 1.9mg iron, 0.13mg copper, 0.1mg zinc, 0.04mg vitamin B1, 0.02mg vitamin B2, 0.4mg niacin, 25mg vitamin C and 24µg folates. 100g white/mooli, raw = 24 kcalories, 93g water, 1g protein, 0.1g fat, 4.3g carbohydrate, 27mg sodium, 228mg potassium, 27mg calcium, 15mg magnesium, 0.4mg iron, 0.15mg copper, 0.2mg zinc, 0.02mg vitamin B1, 0.03mg vitamin B2, 0.7mg niacin, 42mg vitamin C..