How To: Prepare Daikon

whole daikon

Whats that large white carrot thing in the market you ask? Well its Daikon or also called white radish 白蘿蔔. Daikon is often used in salads, turnip cakes, soups or pickled. It has a flavour similar to a radish but not as pungent.
You have most likely had it shredded beside your sashimi in a Japanese restaurant. (the small pile of the almost clear veggies) My favourite way to eat daikon is a salad, the daikon is shredded with carrot and dressed with a vinegar, sugar, sesame dressing. I use this salad as part of one of my easy to make meals, a Japanese style rice bowl with lots of sides including omelette, tuna or salmon, sesame seeds and seaweed. (Recipe coming soon)

I have shown 3 ways to prepare daikon below: cut in cubes for soup, julienned for salads and grated as a garnish for sashimi. I am sure there are many more ways but this should get you started.

1. Cut off how much daikon you need for your recipe.

2. Peel daikon.

Now for the 3 ways to prepare daikon:

Cubed Daikon 

1. Cut into cubes


 Julienne Daikon

1. Cut off thin squares of daikon. (Or grate with mandolin or serrated peeler)
2. Cut into thin matchsticks.

Grated Daikon
(this can be done with or without chilli, if you don't want chilli just grate the daikon and squeeze out excess moisture)

1. Poke holes in daikon with a chop stick.

2. Cut chillies in half and push into the holes in the daikon.
3. Grate
4. Squeeze out excess water, and serve beside sashimi.