Daikon is a long, white (to light green) radish used in Japanese and other Asian cooking. The word daikon is derived from the Japanese words dai (large) and kon (root). Use of this popular vegetable dates back to the 8th century.
The vegetable is quite versatile and can be added to soups, noodles or chopped, shredded and used in salads or as a garnish. It is even used pickled (takuan) in sushi.
Due to its popularity daikon is usually easy to find in grocery stores in any area with a good sized Asian population. When selecting daikon look for roots that are slightly glossy looking and firm to insure freshness. Unused daikon should be placed in plastic wrap and kept in the vegetable drawer in your refrigerator. It is best used within 2-3 days but it will last up to a week.