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Radish

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Food and agriculture;
Plants

                    iRadish
   Red radish
   Red radish
           Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Plantae
   Division: Magnoliophyta
   Class:    Magnoliopsida
   Order:    Brassicales
   Family:   Brassicaceae
   Genus:    Raphanus
   Species:  R. sativus

                                Binomial name

   Raphanus sativus
   L.
   bunch of radishes
   Enlarge
   bunch of radishes

   The radish is a root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family.

   The most popular part for eating is the napiform taproot, although the
   entire plant is edible and the tops can be used as a leaf vegetable.
   The skin comes in a variety of colours. Most commonly known is the
   round, red-skinned variety. Other varieties may have a pink, white or
   grey-black skin. A large, round yellow-skinned variety has a subtle
   taste of lemon.

   The East Asian giant white radish is called "Chinese radish" or "
   daikon". It is mild-flavored and is usually called daikon radish in US
   supermarkets. The most common variety is carrot-shaped, and
   approximately 8 to 14 inches (20 to 35 cm) long and 2 to 4 inches (5 to
   10 cm) in diameter.

   The bulb of the radish is usually eaten raw, but tougher specimens can
   be steamed. The raw flesh has a crisp texture and a pungent, peppery
   flavour, caused by the concentration of allyl isothiocyanate, also
   present in mustard, horseradish and wasabi.

   Radishes range in sizes, in some instances growing to proportions of
   over 1 kg (2 lb). They are a popular choice for personal cultivation,
   as they are fairly easy to grow. It is a rapidly-maturing crop, with
   many varieties able to reach maturity within 30 days.

   Radishes grow best in acidic to neutral soil and require sun and moist,
   fertile soil. They are best sown from early till late spring and best
   harvested from late summer till early autumn. The seeds should be
   planted around 1 cm deep. Ammonium sulfate is an effective fertilizer.
   However the soil pH level should be checked before planting radishes as
   they can be sensitive to this.

Varieties

   Broadly speaking, radishes can be categorized into four main types:
   summer,winter,fall, and spring. They also come in many different
   shapes, colours, and sizes, such as black radishes, multi-coloured
   ones, round ones, and long ones that can grow longer than a parsnip.

   Summer varieties include "Rainbow Mix", a red white and purple radish;
   "Cherry Bell", which is cherry shaped; "Flamboyant Sabina", which is
   cylindrical; "April cross", reaching 30cm or more (12 inches); "French
   Breakfast", one of the most popular; and "Easter Egg", a white variety.

   Winter varieties include "Black Spanish Round", which is large with
   black skin and white flesh, shaped like a globe; "Mino Early", growing
   to 30cm (12 inches) long, and good in a salad; and "Minawasa Summer", a
   variety from Japan.

   An unusual variety is "München Bier". This radish is not grown for its
   roots, but rather for its edible seed pods, which have a spicy flavour.
   This variety can grow up to 60cm tall.

Nutritional value

   Relative to their serving size, radishes are rich in ascorbic acid
   (vitamin C), folic acid (folate), and Potassium. Relative to their
   caloric value, they are a good source of vitamin B6, Riboflavin,
   Magnesium, Copper, and Calcium. One cup of sliced red radish bulbs (two
   servings) provides approximately 20 Calories (kilocalories) or less,
   coming largely from carbohydrates. Thus, relative to their serving
   size, radishes are a dietary food that is relatively filling for its
   caloric value. Some sources list radishes as being rich in dietary
   fibre, whereas other sources disagree.

The radish in popular culture

     * Radishes were the staple food of the three main races of the
       Fraggle Rock universe - the Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs.

     * In 2005 in Japan, a giant radish grew through some pavement. Named
       Dokonjo Daikon, the vegetable was taken to heart by the public, and
       toy shops began stocking a cuddly giant radish to celebrate the
       event.

     * Fictional character Jessica Fletcher, protagonist of detective show
       Murder, She Wrote, was revealed in an episode of the show to be
       severely allergic to radishes.

     * Radish were a group compared to Nirvana by Rolling Stone . However,
       they failed to strike big success with either their first record
       Dizzy or its sophomore follow-up Restraining Bolt, and split in
       1998. Their frontman, Ben Kweller went on to achieve modest success
       with a solo career.

     * Rapunzel the children's fairy tale characters was named so because
       Rapunzel was another variation on the name Radish and while
       pregnant with her, Rapunzel's mother had had cravings for the
       vegetable - also the witch that imprisons Rapunzel is said to
       harvest radishes.

     * Luna Lovegood, a character from the Harry Potter series, wears
       radish earrings.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
