Considered good appetite stimulators, radishes actually have very little food value. But they do add tang, texture, color and crunch to meals. Mentioned by Chinese philosopher Confucius back in 479 BC, radishes probably originated in China but are so ancient that their original ancestor is not known. The ancient Greeks ate radishes as well as turnips and beets. They were said to make vegetable sacrifices to the gods, carrying radishes on gold platters. These days artists carve the long radishes of Oaxaca, Mexico into elaborate sculptures for La Noche de los Rabanos, the night of the radishes.

The long white Japanese radish or daikon is often pickled and eaten after the rice portion of the meal. Pickled daikon is said to be the number one pickled vegetable in Japan.