In this week's Community Harvest CSA we have Black Spanish Radishes from Long Walk Farm in Council Buffs, IA. We may be familiar with the radish, usually red and super spicy, but the Black Spanish Radish isn't a veggie easily found in grocery stores. The No More Empty Pots crew was intrigued by this unique produce and went on a deep dive to learn more. This article is dedicated to that research so we can all learn about this radical radish!
Description and History
"The edible root has a tough black skin and white flesh. There are round and elongated varieties. Like other radishes, black radish has a sharp flavor due to various chemical compounds that the plant primarily uses as pest defense. Some of these phytochemicals are produced in high concentrations.
Cultivation can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, where illustrations in tombs show extensive use of a long variety of radish. The region of today's Syria is likely the geographical origin of black radish. It was first mentioned in Europe in 1548. At that time, it was one of the most common radish varieties. It lost its importance with the introduction of new radish-varieties but was still widely cultivated until the early 20th century. In the second half of the 20th century it had to give way to spring radish varieties and got "forgotten" in European cuisine. It is now considered an “old variety” and enjoys renewed popularity as health-food through mentions in lifestyle and food blogs and magazines." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_radish
"Black Radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. niger) a cruciferous vegetable that contains high glucosinolate concentrations, as well as sulfates and cysteine-rich proteins, this is why it has been used in traditional medicine. It is good at aiding liver function, gastric secretions, gallbladder function and gallstone mitigation."
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7813598/
Side Quest: What's a Cruciferous Vegetable
"Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard plant and similar green leaf vegetables. The family takes its alternative name (Cruciferae, Neo-Latin for "cross-bearing") from the shape of their flowers, whose four petals resemble a cross."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables
Back to the Radish...
"The edible root has a tough black skin and white flesh. There are round and elongated varieties. Like other radishes, black radish has a sharp flavor due to various chemical compounds that the plant primarily uses as pest defense.
It is now considered an “old variety” and enjoys renewed popularity as health-food through mentions in lifestyle and food blogs and magazines."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_radish
The "Spanish" in Black Spanish radish refers to its long history and popularity in Europe, particularly Spain, where it was a staple root vegetable by the 1500s, known for being hardy, pungent, and excellent for winter storage, though its origins trace back to the Mediterranean and ancient Egypt, with "Spanish" simply denoting a well-established European variety rather than its sole origin.
Health Uses
"Black radish has been a popular gallbladder tonic throughout China and Europe for hundreds of years. It is great for folks who struggle with bile function or digestive problems, such as issues with fat and protein digestion. In India it is called black mooli and is a well-known liver tonic. Traditional medicine in Mexico suggests the use of this radish as a liver cleanse and digestive support. In many parts of the world it is used as a cold and flu remedy
While the black radish might be delicious baked, for health benefits it is typically juiced or made into a supplement such as a tincture, syrup or pill."
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/black-radish-vegetable-healing-properties/
Preparation and Recipes
Black radish is typically cooked by removing the peel then cooking the white inside. It can also be used raw, grated and added to salads. Kale can be frozen for future smoothies. Blanche the kale before freezing for longer storage.
Black Spanish Radish Slaw
Ingredients:
2-3 black Spanish radishes, scrubbed and grated
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup coarsely grated carrots, any color
1/2 cup thinly sliced green or red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, cilantro, or mint leaves
Stir all the ingredients together, let sit for flavors to meld and enjoy!
https://tucsoncsa.org/recipe/black-spanish-radish-slaw/
Roasted Black Radish - full recipe below
Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, very finely minced
• 1 tbsp. red miso paste or Thai fish sauce
• ½ tbsp. soy sauce
• ½ tbsp. rice vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
USE 2 LARGE BLACK RADISH
How to:
Whisk together the sauce.
Slice the radish into 1/4" slices and toss into the sauce to evenly coat
Arrange the slices on a cookie sheet, drizzle the remaining sauce over the top of the radish slices
Bake @ 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turn over, bake another 15 minutes until browned.
Serve hot or cold
Recipe credit: Very Vegan Gal
