BEHR Gemüsegarten: Products

Radish Piccolo / small 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. In addition to the well-known large white radish or Daikon, we also grow the Piccolo radish – a variety that stays small. It also has a white root, but it measures only about 30 cm and weighs about 350 g. So it fits in perfectly with the trend for increasingly small households, leaving hardly any leftovers after a meal. Its smaller size also makes it easy to store in the vegetable compartment of the fridge, which is definitely a challenge for the full-size variety.

In Asia, radish has become an integral part of the diet due to its pleasantly sharp flavour. It 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. The radish Piccolo has a slightly sharper flavour than its big brother.

Anbau und Ernte

Our radish Piccolo grows in fields in and around Winsen/Luhe (Lower Saxony). It is well adapted to the Central European climate and prefers deep soils, rich in humus. The radish Piccolo 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.

The radish Piccolo is 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.

Zubereitung und Frischetipps

Radish Piccolo 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.