French facts about radishes, how best to serve them, links to healthy radish recipes and a French expression which uses it too.
In Season
All year round but high season is March - June (Spring; Summer).
Random French Facts About Radishes
- (EuroStat, 2016, the most chou crazy are Poland, Germany and Romania;
- Radish is part of the cruciferae family, which also includes colza, turnip, cabbage and mustard;
- The French love radishes so much, the average French person eats 1.5kg radishes a year; The French are the 2nd biggest producers of radishes in Europe with 50 varieties grown, mostly in the Loire (source: French Ministry of Agriculture);
- Root vegetable normally eaten raw (not peeled, just washed and ends trimmed) as French hors-d'oeuvres, as crudités served with an apéritif, either served on their own dipped in salt and buttered bread or with dips such as Provençal Poichichade (French garlic hummous) or broccoli hummous, and in salads;
- 3 families of radishes: pink or red small radish, black radish, and Japanese radish (Daikon);
- Love heat in your radish? The small red ones are the most naturally spicy;
- Prefer radishes not spicy? Go for the Daikon or black radish, full of vitamins and minerals;
- To choose the freshest radishes, choose a bunch with the greenest of leaves;
- Health benefits: radishes help clean the liver, so are a great Spring clean added to salads;
- To avoid waste of the leaves, make a radish leaf soup - just follow the same recipe for watercress soup (soupe au cresson). Delicious as an amuse-bouche teaser before dinner - I love to play a food game with guests to guess the vegetable!
Fun French Radish Expression
"Je n'ai plus un radis"
Familiar expression meaning: I've no money left; I don't have a bean on me (literally translated as "I no longer have a radish")
