10 Best Daikon Radish Substitutes

Daikon is a root vegetable that belongs to the member of the Brassicaceae family and also possesses a mild flavor. You can use several other names to refer to the daikon radish, Japanese radish, winter radish, Chinese radish, and even white radish.

Apart from these names listed, it has other names, depending on the variety and the region around which it is cultivated. White radish is a popular vegetable in Asia, pronounced in Japanese dishes even more in Asia.

The daikon radish comes in a lot of different sizes, colors, and shapes, making them excellent ingredients for salads, soups, stir-fries, and roasted chickens.

But if you forget to buy it or didn’t find it in the store, then you can opt for other amazing daikon radish substitutes, which we’ll be listing below.

Best Daikon Radish Substitutes

Due to the sweet, crunchy, and spicy texture of the daikon, its substitutes must possess one, if not all, of its characteristics.

So, when substituting for the daikon, pick substitutes with similar flavor and texture to it.

1. Turnips

The turnips have a similar flavor to that of the daikon radish. Like it, the leaves and roots are edible and are also another common vegetable in many dishes like savory soups and stews.

People usually cook the turnips with other vegetables that have stronger tastes because the flavor of this vegetable is mild.

Turnips can be added to salads and used as dressings and dips for fish and even meats. The turnips taste similar to potatoes if you were wondering what they tasted like.

When used as a substitute for the daikon radish, your dish would attain a crunchy texture and flavor similar to the daikon radish.

Read Also: 10 Best Relish Substitutes

2. Radishes

There are different varieties of radishes that you can pick from depending on the size, shapes, and colors and certain growing conditions like mild, spicy, or very spicy.

These radishes can be used raw in your recipes, but they can also be sauteed, pickled, or even grilled.

Due to the radishes’ sweet taste and mild flavor can be used comfortably as a substitute for daikon radishes.

3. Jicama

Jicama is a vegetable native to Mexicans; it can also be the Mexican potato, Mexican turnip, or the yam bean with a nutty and slightly sweet flavor. It also provides you with a crunchy texture.

This vegetable is mostly used raw in salads, even if it can be fried, sauteed, steamed, or boiled. Due to their similar texture and flavor to the daikon, radishes can also serve as an excellent substitute.

4. Parsnips

Parsnips are root vegetables that possess a form similar to that of the carrots and a milk-like color. Like the other substitutes mentioned above, the parsnips can be used raw in salads even if they taste better when fried, boiled, baked, or roasted.

Parsnips have a mildly sweet flavor that turns even sweeter as it is cooked, and when you are using this as a substitute, your dish will turn out sweeter than expected.

5. Korean Radish

The Korean radish is almost similar to the daikon radish, except it is shorter and rounder with a peppery and slightly sweet flavor. This radish works well in literally everything that the daikon radish uses, including stir-fries, marinades, soups, stews, and even sauces.

The Korean radish is not as sweet as the daikon radish, so when used as a substitute, except a dish with a less sweet taste.

6. Cabbage

There are a lot of different varieties of cabbages depending on the size, color, and shapes, but generally, cabbages have a slightly peppery flavor, which is then mellowed when cooked.

Cabbages are mostly raw in salads, stir-fries, and even soups and casseroles. Cabbages can substitute the daikon radish in terms of taste, but they do not taste like them when it comes to flavor.

7. Horseradish Root

These horseradish roots are majorly used as condiments in sauces and dresses. The horseradish powder also comes in fresh and powdered form in meat dishes, vegetables, potato salads, and homemade mayonnaise.

Naturally, horseradish has a strong and peppery flavor, but the taste becomes bitter when exposed to air and heat.

Just a small amount of horseradish can be used as a substitute for daikon radish because if a lot is added, it will affect the taste as horseradish is a lot hotter than the daikon radish.

8. Beetroot

Beets are root vegetables that look like radishes and turnips, except they possess a distinguishably dark red color. The gown in the form of round bulbs and their green leaves are added to many savory dishes.

The color beet juice possesses a red color that you can easily wash off; thus, the beetroot can be used as a dye for fabrics and foods while the beetroot vegetable, on the other hand, has a sweet and earthy flavor.

Beetroot can be eaten raw and can also be eaten fried, roasted, steamed, or grilled. If the color of beetroot doesn’t affect your dish, then beetroot is a very good substitute for the daikon radish.

Read Also: 10 Best Vidalia Onions Substitutes

9. Carrots

Carrots are staples in many dishes as they contain some nutritious benefits like beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin C, K, E, B, and A. carrots are usually orange root vegetables.

Still, they can come in several other colors like red, purple, and even white depending on the variety and area it is grown.

Carrots usually have a sweet and earthy flavor as you can use them in rice, soups, stews, salads, marinades, and even pickles. The carrot would fit perfectly as a substitute in giving your dish a crunchy taste, but it’s not as exact as the daikon radish when it comes to flavor.

10. Water Chestnuts

Water chestnuts are vegetables that are usually grown underwater in washes. They are usually sold either canned or fresh as they are used to add texture and flavor to a lot of dishes.

Fresh chestnuts have a nice flavor, just like combined coconut and apples, but the canned ones do not have a strong flavor.

So, if you want to get a lot out of the flavor of chestnuts, you should use fresh chestnuts as you can get more flavors out of them.

The chestnuts work well in stuffing, stir-fries, and many other dishes. Even if the chestnut’s flavor were not the same as radishes, it would provide you with some crunchiness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Regular Radish in Place of Daikon Radish?

Yes, you can. Red radishes are also excellent substitutes, but you can peel the red skin off if you want them to look just like the daikon radish. The only difference you would encounter is that the red radishes have a more pronounced and spicier flavor than the daikon radishes.

Are Turnip and Daikon the Same?

They are not the same; daikon is a type of radish, while turnips are different. The similarity they both have is that they belong to the brassica family.

When daikon turnips are cooked, the taste resembles that of the turnips, making it an amazing substitute for the daikon radishes and vice versa.

Is Korean Radish the Same as Daikon Radish?

Even if they are both similar, the Korean radish is different from the daikon radish as radish is said to have originated from Japan, so it can also be referred to as a Japanese radish. Even if you can use these two interchangeably, they are still slightly different in taste and appearance.

What Does White Icicle Radish Taste Like?

The white icicle radishes have a succulent and crisp nature when they are raw. They can also have a succulent, earthy, and peppery flavor too, depending on the variety.

What Can I Do with White Icicle Radishes?

Since the white icicle radish has a crisp and mild flavor, it can be excellent for eating raw or cooking. This variety of radish can be cut into smaller strips and added to your favorite vegetable salad for that extra crunch.

 Cooking your radishes will help lower the spiciness, or you can slice them and sauté them with butter or any cooking oil you can get a hold of to create a delicious side dish. \

What Is a Purple Ninja Radish?

These are medium-sized radishes with an oblong shape with a thin tail. The exterior of these radishes is purple, and many of these varieties have a light stripe of dark colors and fine hairs coming out of their skin.