BEHR Gemüsegarten: Products

White radish

Radish is a member of the Brassica family and is an ancient cultivated plant that was already known to the Egyptians. In Germany, it has only been used as a vegetable plant since the 13th century. Radishes are particularly popular in East Asia, China and Japan. There, the annual per capita consumption is up to 30 kg! Here in Germany, we only eat 250 g of radish per capita per year on average.

Radishes come in different colours and shapes. The best known, however, is certainly the white radish – also known as the Daikon or Japanese radish – with its roughly 45 cm long white root and a slightly milder flavour. This is the radish that we grow at Behr. It is often served as a snack, known as Radi, with a pretzel and a beer at the Oktoberfest. In addition to the white variety, there are also red and black radishes, in long or spherical shapes, as well as the shorter white radish variant, the Piccolo radish.

In Asia, radish has become an integral part of the diet due to its pleasantly sharp flavour. The radish is also finding more and more fans here in Germany. This is probably due to its juicy white flesh and the delicious mustard oils found in the radish, which give it its sharpness.

Cultivation and harvesting

Our radish grows in fields in and around Winsen/Luhe (Lower Saxony). It has become well adapted to the Central European climate and prefers deep soils, rich in humus. Due to its impressive size, the radish requires good soil preparation with deep soils and a good water supply so that the beets can grow nicely straight down into the soil and do not develop side roots.

Radishes are grown exclusively in no-till farming. The radishes are still harvested entirely by hand and it takes a great deal of strength and skill to pull the radish roots out of the ground intact. After harvesting, the radishes are washed directly on the picking trolley and prepared for further transport.

Preparation and freshness tips

Radish is very easy to prepare. Cut off the green base and the root end. Then peel the radish with a peeler. Now it can be sliced as desired.

Radish is often served as a snack. If you want to reduce the sharpness a little, you can sprinkle a little salt over the radish slices. It is also makes a sophisticated accompaniment to meat or fish when steamed. You can find lots of delicious ideas in our recipe section. It’s worth taking a look!

You can tell if a radish is fresh because it will be beautifully plump and firm and will not bend. Fresh radish tastes best, of course, but you can keep it in the vegetable drawer in the fridge for a few days.