Daikon

Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus

Daikon is a long-rooted East Asian radish. It is the same species as small red and breakfast radishes, selected into a very different root shape and size.

Northeast notes

UMaine’s recommended “Oriental” radishes include Minowase Summer Cross and Miyashige, both long white daikon types suited to northern New England gardens.¹

More parts of the plant

The root is only one food part: the greens, flowers, and young seed pods are edible as well.² Its mustard-family chemistry links it to cabbage, turnip, and nasturtium in flavor even when they are not close botanical twins.

Footnotes

1. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Vegetable Varieties for Maine Gardens,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩

2. North Carolina Cooperative Extension, “Daikon,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩