There is no doubt that this week’s star comes with one of the most misleading names you will encounter in our vegetable kingdom. On the one hand, “watermelon radish” sounds about as absurd as “giraffe cat” equally implausible. On the other hand, the name genuinely amuses me. I cannot help but picture a mad scientist at the Volcanic Institute laboring over an impossible hybrid of radish and watermelon.
So what is the story? Let me reassure you right away: this is neither a watermelon that tastes like radish nor a radish that tastes like watermelon. It is simply the English name of the vegetable – Watermelon Radish.
Why the name? Because it answers the riddle: what is green on the outside, red on the inside, and has no watermelon seeds? Since seedless watermelons are not in season, the answer is watermelon radish.
Yes, watermelon radish is far more radish than watermelon. In fact, it is a variety of daikon radish, a cruciferous root vegetable. In this case, the variety is distinctive enough to stand on its own. Originally from China, it spread through other Asian cuisines and later to the West, and now it has made its way here as well, waiting for you in the garden.
What does this radish bring to the table? Nutritionally, it is very similar to daikon: rich in magnesium and vitamin C, with indications that it may help regulate blood lipids. That said, this column favors culinary joy over naturopathy and in that department, watermelon radish has real assets.
First and foremost: the color. No other radish looks like this on the inside. And presentation matters in cooking. Slice into a watermelon radish and it is instantly stunning, so even if you use it as a simple radish substitute in a basic salad, you have already won.
As for flavor, yes, it is a radish but discerning palates will notice the difference. I find its sharpness gentler, with a hint of black pepper notes. It is refreshing and, importantly, does not leave behind the bitter aftertaste common to many other radishes.
In Asian cooking especially Japanese cuisine, this radish fits beautifully into both cold and warm dishes. So to sum it up: it is definitely not a watermelon. But as a radish? It is exceptionally good.
A radish with charisma.
