“There’s radish and baby radish,
And bee and little bee,
And almond and almond tree
Hallelujah.”
From the children’s song Tzemed Ḥemed, lyrics by Dudu Barak
So what is the real story behind the radish and the baby radish?
Do they truly come as a pair, or is this just one vegetable in different outfits? And if we start with the tznonit (the baby radish), then as the song suggests: “it’s not a lady, it’s a gentleman.”
Let us clear things up: despite the feminine sounding ending in Hebrew, tznonit is not the female form of tznon. It is simply a smaller variety of radish. That -ית ending? It is a grammatical marker in Hebrew that indicates “a smaller version.” In other words: the baby radish is the cherry-tomato of the radish world.
Some people will swear they are two completely different vegetables with distinct flavors. Then again, some people also believe in the “Flying Spaghetti Monster.”
To be fair, there are subtle differences between radishes and baby radishes degree of sharpness, bitterness, texture, nuances I absolutely respect. But at the end of the day, the difference between the two really is size. If it is small and arrives as a whole cluster, it is baby radishes. If it is big and solitary – it is a radish. Either way, we are talking about varieties of the same root vegetable.
Radish belongs to the cruciferous family, and the part we eat is the root – round, crisp, growing just beneath the surface of the soil. Most commonly, the skin is purple or reddish and the inside is white, though there are varieties with paler skin or pinkish flesh.
Radishes are typically eaten raw, sliced, grated, or cut into sticks, but in some Asian cuisines, they are also stir-fried, pickled, or fermented, where they develop a beautiful, bright character.
Personally, I cannot live without that refreshing peppery bite in a salad. I also love serving long, thin radish ribbons (almost like vegetable spaghetti) alongside ceviche or cold platters.
As for choosing between radish and baby radish? Come on, it is like choosing between mom and dad. When I am pickling, or want a salad with a more delicate, whole-leaf look, I reach for baby radishes. When I need long shavings on a grater or elegant thin slices, I choose the classic radish.
Either way, this week’s box includes both radishes and baby radishes – fresh, organic, and harvested right after the last rain.
