Radishes are popular vegetables, valued for their distinctive flavor and crunchy texture. How many types of radishes are there? The number of different types of radishes is nearly endless, but radishes can be spicy or mild, round or oblong, big or small, with radish varieties available in colors ranging from reddish-purple to rosy pink, black, pure white or even green. Read on to learn about a few interesting varieties of radish.
Common Radish Types
Below are some of the most common types of radish:
- White Icicle – This pungent, white radish measures 5 to 8 inches in length.
- Sparkler – A round, bright red radish with a distinctive white tip; all white inside.
- Cherry Belle – This round, red radish is a common variety often found in your local supermarket. It is delicious in salads.
- White Beauty – A small, round radish with a sweet, juicy flavor; white inside and out.
- French Breakfast – This mild, extra-crunchy, slightly pungent radish is good raw or cooked.
- Early Scarlet Gold – A juicy, crispy-tender heirloom variety with a round shape, red skin and white flesh.
- Daikon Long White – Daikon are huge radishes that can reach lengths of 18 inches, measuring 3 inches in diameter.
- Fire and Ice – Appropriately named oblong radish with bright red on the top half and pure white on the bottom half; sweet, mild and delicate in flavor and texture.
Unique Varieties of Radish
The following radish varieties are less common in the garden but well worth giving a try:
- Sakurajima Mammoth – Believed to be the largest radish variety in the world, this incredible radish can weigh up to 100 pounds at maturity. In spite of its size, it has a sweet, mild flavor.
- Green Meat – Also known as Misato Green, this radish variety is green inside and out. The outer skin is surprisingly spicy, but the flesh is mild.
- Easter Egg – This interesting variety can be white, pink, red or purple. Slice it thin to add flavor, texture and color to salads.
- Watermelon – An heirloom radish with white skin and intense, reddish-purple flesh. The Watermelon radish, which reaches baseball size, looks much like a miniature watermelon. The flavor is slightly peppery.
- Black Spanish – This round radish displays coal black skin and pure white flesh.
- White Globe Hailstone – Pure white inside and out; flavor is mildly spicy.
- Chinese Green Luobo – Also known as Qinluobo, this heirloom radish is a unique shade of lime green inside and out.