Posted by: Neupane November 13, 2005
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Mula or मुला or Raddish
no problem Birkhe_maila... just trying to give more info to the readers ;-)
from http://food.oregonstate.edu/v/radish.html
What is the botany of the radish?
The cultivated radish, Raphanus sativus, belongs to the Cruciferae or mustard family, so named because of the cross-shaped flowers. The word "raphanus" is from the Greek meaning "quick appearing" and has been freely translated as meaning "easily reared". The name alludes to the plant's quick germination and rapid growth and the fact it can be grown in many environments. Members of the Cruciferae have more or less pungent, watery juice and some are used for condiments. The family includes cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, turnips, horseradish and the cresses, such as watercress.
The radish is an annual or a biennial depending on when it is planted. If planted in the spring, the plant can complete its life cycle as an annual, developing a long stem bearing the typical cruciferous flowers. The flowers are usually white or tinged with rose-lilac. When grown as a fall crop, flowers do not form until the following spring. The taproot is fleshy and two vertical rows of lateral roots arise opposite each other. A rosette of leaves grows from the root crown. The leaves are rough-hairy, oblong-oval and either of strap or cut form; tops are short, medium or long according to variety.
The roots are of many shapes - round, turnip-shaped, oval, olive-shaped, half-long or long according to variety, and the long radishes may be cylindrical with tapered tip or even having something of a reverse taper with the base larger than the shoulder. The size varies from a few grams for some popular early English and American varieties to up to one kilogram (2.2 lb) for the late Japanese field radish, the daikon.
The external color of the root varies from white, through pink, red, purple and to black; it may be black above and white below. Yellow varieties are known but not common. Pollination is performed chiefly by insects. The fruit pod is a silicle which is about one to three inches in length and does not come open to discharge the seeds at maturity. The quick growing spring radishes are mild, crisp, moderately firm and highly perishable. The slow growing summer and winter radishes are pungent, firm, and storage.
What is the history of the radish?
Radishes have been cultivated in China for thousands of years, and Sturtevant believed it to be the country of origin because truly wild forms have been found there. If this were true, then radishes spread into Middle Asia as a secondary center of development in pre-historic times. De Candolle believes that radishes originated in Western Asia between Palestine, Anatolia, and the Caucasus, perhaps also from Greece. The supporting evidence for this view is that R. sativus doesn't appear with certainty in the flora of Eastern Asia, but that it does grow wild south of the Caucasus. In Egypt, radishes were a common food long before the pyramids were built. Edgar Anderson calls the radish "one of our most ancient cultivated plants."
Ancient Greek writers made frequent mention of radishes. So highly did the Greeks esteem this vegetable that small replicas of them were made in gold in connection with Apollo worship. On the other hand, the Greeks were satisfied with replicas of beets in silver and of turnips in lead. In the third century B.C. a Greek physician wrote a book about the radish plant. The Greeks appear to have been acquainted with three varieties.
The Romans at the beginning of the Christian era were also familiar with the radish. Their writers described various kinds including small round and small long forms as well as large types weighing several pounds each. It is thought that they introduced the radish to the Germans.
The radish appears not to have reached England until 1548 but in 1597 Gerarde in his Herbal mentions four varieties as being grown. He says that some were "eaten raw with bread" but for the most part "used as a sauce with meates to procure appetite."
Peter Martyr wrote in the 1500's about radishes seen in Mexico; and in 1565 Benzoni reported they were abundant in Haiti. By 1629 they were being cultivated in Massachusetts as reported by William Wood. From then on the cultivation of radishes spread rapidly in this country, and in 1806 McMahon's catalog mentions 10 kins.
Very large radishes have been grown for a long time. The old Roman writer Pliny (26-113 A.D.) wrote of long white radishes the size of a boy infant. Such larger radishes were known in northern Europe and England. A German botanist in 1544 reported seeing radishes weighing 100 pounds. Commodore Perry reported in 1852-54 that Lew chew radishes grew in Japan two and three feet long and more than 12 inches in diameter. In 1604 Acosta wrote that he had seen in the Indies "redish rootes as bigge as a man's arme, very tender and of good taste." Varieties of both round and long radishes weighing several pounds each are common in Japan today.
What is the origin of the name radish?
The Latin word for root is radix, which gave rise to the Old English raedic and the Old High German ratih. These have been modernized to radish and rettig respectively. An alternative modern German word for radish is radies; in French the word is radis, in Spanish rabano, in Italian ravanello, in Russian rediska, and in Danish radise.
What is optimum storage temperature and humidity for radishes?
For topped summer radishes, the storage life at 32F and high relative humidity (90 to95%) is 3 to 4 weeks; at 45F it is less than a week. The storage life of bunched radishes is roughly half as long. Storage life may be increased by the addition of chlorine to water used in washing and cooling (and also by suitable controlled atmospheres.). Ryal and Lipton find no need for growth inhibitors when the radishes are held near recommended temperatures.
Radishes per 100 Grams
Nutrient
Water (g) 94.84
Calories 17.00
Protein, g 0.60
Fat g 0.54
CHO: total, g 3.59
CHO: fiber, crude g 0.54
Ash, mg 0.54
Calcium, mg 221.00
Phosphorus, mg 18.00
Iron, mg 0.29
Sodium, mg 24.00
Potassium, mg 232.00
Vitamin A, IU 8.00
Thiamine, mg 0.005
Riboflavin, mg 0.045
Niacin, mg0.30
Ascorbic Acid, mg 22.80
From USDA Handbook 8
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मुलाको अचार जस्तो त अरु केहि हुन्न ;-) yummy yummy
What is the botany of the radish?
The cultivated radish, Raphanus sativus, belongs to the Cruciferae or mustard family, so named because of the cross-shaped flowers. The word "raphanus" is from the Greek meaning "quick appearing" and has been freely translated as meaning "easily reared". The name alludes to the plant's quick germination and rapid growth and the fact it can be grown in many environments. Members of the Cruciferae have more or less pungent, watery juice and some are used for condiments. The family includes cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, turnips, horseradish and the cresses, such as watercress.
The radish is an annual or a biennial depending on when it is planted. If planted in the spring, the plant can complete its life cycle as an annual, developing a long stem bearing the typical cruciferous flowers. The flowers are usually white or tinged with rose-lilac. When grown as a fall crop, flowers do not form until the following spring. The taproot is fleshy and two vertical rows of lateral roots arise opposite each other. A rosette of leaves grows from the root crown. The leaves are rough-hairy, oblong-oval and either of strap or cut form; tops are short, medium or long according to variety.
The roots are of many shapes - round, turnip-shaped, oval, olive-shaped, half-long or long according to variety, and the long radishes may be cylindrical with tapered tip or even having something of a reverse taper with the base larger than the shoulder. The size varies from a few grams for some popular early English and American varieties to up to one kilogram (2.2 lb) for the late Japanese field radish, the daikon.
The external color of the root varies from white, through pink, red, purple and to black; it may be black above and white below. Yellow varieties are known but not common. Pollination is performed chiefly by insects. The fruit pod is a silicle which is about one to three inches in length and does not come open to discharge the seeds at maturity. The quick growing spring radishes are mild, crisp, moderately firm and highly perishable. The slow growing summer and winter radishes are pungent, firm, and storage.
What is the history of the radish?
Radishes have been cultivated in China for thousands of years, and Sturtevant believed it to be the country of origin because truly wild forms have been found there. If this were true, then radishes spread into Middle Asia as a secondary center of development in pre-historic times. De Candolle believes that radishes originated in Western Asia between Palestine, Anatolia, and the Caucasus, perhaps also from Greece. The supporting evidence for this view is that R. sativus doesn't appear with certainty in the flora of Eastern Asia, but that it does grow wild south of the Caucasus. In Egypt, radishes were a common food long before the pyramids were built. Edgar Anderson calls the radish "one of our most ancient cultivated plants."
Ancient Greek writers made frequent mention of radishes. So highly did the Greeks esteem this vegetable that small replicas of them were made in gold in connection with Apollo worship. On the other hand, the Greeks were satisfied with replicas of beets in silver and of turnips in lead. In the third century B.C. a Greek physician wrote a book about the radish plant. The Greeks appear to have been acquainted with three varieties.
The Romans at the beginning of the Christian era were also familiar with the radish. Their writers described various kinds including small round and small long forms as well as large types weighing several pounds each. It is thought that they introduced the radish to the Germans.
The radish appears not to have reached England until 1548 but in 1597 Gerarde in his Herbal mentions four varieties as being grown. He says that some were "eaten raw with bread" but for the most part "used as a sauce with meates to procure appetite."
Peter Martyr wrote in the 1500's about radishes seen in Mexico; and in 1565 Benzoni reported they were abundant in Haiti. By 1629 they were being cultivated in Massachusetts as reported by William Wood. From then on the cultivation of radishes spread rapidly in this country, and in 1806 McMahon's catalog mentions 10 kins.
Very large radishes have been grown for a long time. The old Roman writer Pliny (26-113 A.D.) wrote of long white radishes the size of a boy infant. Such larger radishes were known in northern Europe and England. A German botanist in 1544 reported seeing radishes weighing 100 pounds. Commodore Perry reported in 1852-54 that Lew chew radishes grew in Japan two and three feet long and more than 12 inches in diameter. In 1604 Acosta wrote that he had seen in the Indies "redish rootes as bigge as a man's arme, very tender and of good taste." Varieties of both round and long radishes weighing several pounds each are common in Japan today.
What is the origin of the name radish?
The Latin word for root is radix, which gave rise to the Old English raedic and the Old High German ratih. These have been modernized to radish and rettig respectively. An alternative modern German word for radish is radies; in French the word is radis, in Spanish rabano, in Italian ravanello, in Russian rediska, and in Danish radise.
What is optimum storage temperature and humidity for radishes?
For topped summer radishes, the storage life at 32F and high relative humidity (90 to95%) is 3 to 4 weeks; at 45F it is less than a week. The storage life of bunched radishes is roughly half as long. Storage life may be increased by the addition of chlorine to water used in washing and cooling (and also by suitable controlled atmospheres.). Ryal and Lipton find no need for growth inhibitors when the radishes are held near recommended temperatures.
Radishes per 100 Grams
Nutrient
Water (g) 94.84
Calories 17.00
Protein, g 0.60
Fat g 0.54
CHO: total, g 3.59
CHO: fiber, crude g 0.54
Ash, mg 0.54
Calcium, mg 221.00
Phosphorus, mg 18.00
Iron, mg 0.29
Sodium, mg 24.00
Potassium, mg 232.00
Vitamin A, IU 8.00
Thiamine, mg 0.005
Riboflavin, mg 0.045
Niacin, mg0.30
Ascorbic Acid, mg 22.80
From USDA Handbook 8
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मुलाको अचार जस्तो त अरु केहि हुन्न ;-) yummy yummy