The Japanese take on the radish sprout (the long white radish essential to Japanese and Korean cuisine). As a sprout or microgreen, daikon distinguishes itself from other radishes by its resolutely white colour: translucent white stems lightly tinged pale green, topped by tender-green heart-shaped cotyledons — a clean, minimalist silhouette that makes it the most zen version of the genre.
Noticeably milder and more vegetal in flavour than the coloured radishes (China Rose, Cherry Belle, Wasabi), with a classic mustardy pungency that's more subtle, and an almost sweet finish.
In Japan these sprouts have their own name: kaiware daikon (貝割れ大根), literally "split-shell daikon" — a poetic reference to the way the two cotyledons open like the two halves of a parting clam. Found in every Japanese grocery in small fresh-cut bunches, they are the traditional accompaniment to sashimi (laid as a green-white tuft beside the raw fish), they garnish sushi, donburi bowls, miso soup, udon and ramen at the end of cooking, or appear in thin layers inside hand-rolled temaki.
Also excellent in Western salads and sandwiches, where they bring freshness without overpowering the palate.
- Soaking: not required (small seeds); optional 4-6 hours.
- Germination time: 2-3 days.
- Sprout harvest: 4-6 days after soaking begins.
- Microgreen harvest: 8-12 days after sowing (8-15 cm tall).
- Yield: about 1 tsp of seeds produces a 20 × 20 cm tray of microgreens.
- Best uses: sashimi, sushi, ramen, traditional Japanese garnish.
