What Makes Radishes Spicy and 10 Radish Recipes to Try

Crunchy, low in calories, high in potassium, vitamin C, folate (folic acid) and fibre. They are a natural decongestant (great for the winter months) and they’re easy to grow and find just about anywhere in the world. Radishes come in a variety of colours, shapes, and sizes. Depending on the part of the world you are in, as well as the time of the year, you may be accustomed to seeing little red ones, or medium-sized ones in black, or long white ones (called daikon). If you’re really lucky you...MORE may be able to find these and many other varieties in your local store or farmers markets year round. The one delicious commonality between them is that they all have a slight piquantness to them.  

Though not as spicy as a chili pepper or horseradish root, they’re extra mild “heat” is a great flavour. But what exactly makes radishes spicy? According to this website, “…The raw flesh has a crisp texture and a pungent, peppery flavor, caused by glucosinolates and the enzyme myrosinase, which combine when chewed to form allyl isothiocyanates, also present in mustard, horseradish, and wasabi.” Another factor that can affect the piquantness of radishes is their size. The larger the radish, and the longer it is allowed to grow, the spicier it will become. Also the hotter the weather in which the radishes are grown, the spicier they’ll taste. 

I love the flavour of radishes in any form: I like them raw, marinaded, and even cooked. I have yet to find a way of eating radishes that I didn’t like. Though I should point out that I have found that when radishes are heated (grilled or roasted) their pungency mellows out, which isn’t always a desired result. But if you find raw radishes a tad too spicy when raw, you should try them grilled or roasted — in fact, if you love radishes then you simply must taste them cooked too. 

Though we are not at the height of radish season (that’s in the summer months) we can still give these 12 recipes a try right now.