Radish

A member of the mustard family, Raphanus sativus, grown for its crisp, sharp-tasting root. The ancient Egyptians cultivated the radish and called it "moon." It was also known to the Mesopotamians and in various regions of the Near East more than 4,000 years ago. Introduced to China about 500 BC, radishes were cultivated and eaten, mainly pickled, in Asia for thousands of years, eventually making their way to Greece and Italy. Raphanos, Greek for "radish", also means "sprouts easily", referring to how quickly and easily the radish grows. They were also cultivated for medicinal purposes, specifically to treat coughs and hemorrhages. While the Athenians made replicas of beets in silver and turnips in lead, gold was reserved for radishes. Radix, the Latin word for radish, means "root."

Radishes reached England in the middle of the 16th century. A little more than a century later, a London publication blamed the plague on radishes, among other things. Nearly two centuries later, the great Italian composer Rossini esteemed them so highly that they became one of the subjects of his composition called "Four Hors d'Oeuvres." (The other three were butter, anchovies and pickled gherkins.) Radishes can be solid red, pink, white, purple or black; they can be round, oval or oblong and range in size from that of a cherry to a baseball. Yet, whatever form they take, they almost all taste the same. Radish seeds can be germinated and eaten like alfalfa sprouts. The greens are a delicacy when eaten young and can be prepared like spinach. See also daikon.

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