What Are Radishes
Piquant. Piquant is the best way to describe a radish’s pleasantly sharp taste. These striking little taproots have a lot of pleasant things about them. Their handsome red and white colors with rich green leaves. How they randomly show up in salads when you least expect it. They’re great, but they come with a bit of a kick.
Why Are Radishes Spicy
As you likely found out after first biting into a radish, they are a little bit spicy. Sometimes they’re a lotta bit spicy, particularly when you’re not expecting it. That spiciness is due to a compound called Allyl Isothiocyanate.
Ally Isothiocyanate Explained
Allyl is a chemical group also found in garlic and named after its botanical name: Allium sativum. Iso refers to the shape of the compound. Thio refers to the sulfur molecule and Cyanate refers to a carbon and nitrogen group.
This diabolical little compound is the same one that makes mustard, horseradish, and wasabi spicy. If you find it unpleasant, it’s because you’re supposed to. Allyl isothiocyanate’s biological function is to deter animals, like ourselves, from eating plants that contain it. Unfortunately for radishes, evolution didn’t account for the human desire to eat spicy things.
How to Make Radishes Less Spicy
That said, if you ever wanted your radishes to taste a little less radical, the following three food hacks will help you do just that.
The Peel Method
Most of the spiciness in radishes is in the peel. If you remove it, you’ll bring down the pungency by a lot. Simply trim the greens off your radish, and use a vegetable peeler to remove the ruby red outside of the root. You can calibrate your level of spice by how much peel you leave on.
The Ice Water Method
The next method is to soak your radishes in ice water. Remove the greens from your radishes and cut a score crossways about halfway through the diameter of each radish. This cut will allow water to penetrate the vegetable more easily. Then, place your radishes in a bowl of ice water and let rest in the fridge for about an hour. This is a great way to reduce the spice without losing that striking red skin.
The Roasting Method
Roasting your radishes is also a delicious method of reducing their spiciness. The heat of the oven will cut back on the spice and bring forward their earthy turnip-like flavors. Simply toss your radishes in olive oil and let them cook for as long as you feel is needed. Boom Roasted.
The radish is a unique vegetable that makes a striking addition to your meals. I hope this helps you enjoy them to the fullest.
