Japanese radish is called daikon in Japan. The Japanese word “dai” means “large” and “kon” means “root” in English. There are many kinds of radishes in various sizes and forms. Although the color of the skin can be red, green, purple, yellow, black, etc, most are white. They contain vitamins A, B and C, iron, calcium, etc., so the nutritive value is high. It can be used in salads, miso soup, simmered vegetables and fish paste balls, among many other dishes. It can also be grated and served as a topping on meat and fish. This use is said to help in digesting food.
Konnyaku and shirataki are a gelatin-like food made from the starch of devil's tongue root. They are manufactured differently. Konnyaku is classified into two basic types – block and string. Shirataki is only string. Konnyaku and shirataki are low-calorie and high-fiber and they clean the intestines. They are used in sukiyaki, simmered vegetables and fish paste balls, one-pot dishes, etc.