Page 133 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Wild Radish, Raphanus

raphanistrum (BRASSICACEAE)

Harry Rose, CC-BY-2.0

Harry Rose, CC-BY-2.0
Olivier Pichard, CC-BY-SA-3.0

WILD RADISH, Sea Radish or Jointed Charlock is a plied topically.
common annual herb throughout the world and there
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Harvest young leaves
is a lot of variety within the species. Wild Radish pre-
in spring for a slightly peppery addition to salads or
fers non-calcareous soils but it will tolerate a wide
pasta. Older leaves are much more bitter tasting. Cook-
range of conditions. It is very closely related to com-
ing the leaves reduces the peppery taste and they can
mercially grown radish, but doesn’t grow a fleshy
also be eaten like spinach. Flowers and buds can be
root. It can grow up to 4 ft. (1.2m) tall.
eaten fresh or used to flavor vinegar. The seeds have
FLOWER: Wild radish flowers from June to August. the strongest taste and can be ground into a paste for
Flowers look the same as garden radish or wild mus- a homemade mustard, or the whole young seed pods
tard, however they tend to be white or pale yellow, can be pickled.
unlike garden varieties, which tend to also be pink
WILD RADISH PASTA RECIPE: Ingredients: 2 cups of
and purple. Flowers are less than 1 inch (2.5cm) in
wild radish leaves, 8 oz. (230g) pasta, 1 garlic clove,
size and consist of 4 narrow petals with thin purple
½ chopped onion, 1 can of chopped tomatoes. Fry the
veins.
garlic and onions in a pan until soft. Add the tomatoes.
LEAF: Leaves are slightly wider than arugula or rock- Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 min. Cook and drain
et leaves, and taste very similar. Basal leaves emerge the pasta, then mix in the sauce and finally stir in the
first from a thin taproot, then a hairy, thick stem pro- wild radish. Serve either with a sprinkle of parmesan
duces deeply lobed leaves with the terminal lobe be- cheese or some pieces of feta cheese.
ing much larger than the others. Leaves can grow up
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Many Senecio species,
to 9 inches (23cm) long.
which are toxic to humans, have similar looking leaves
EDIBLE PARTS: flowers, young leaves, seeds, young to wild radish, but Senecio species have a white sap.
seedpods, and stems Luckily the flowers make Senecio easy to distinguish
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Often used for asthma and from wild radish; Senecio flowers are yellow compos-
stomach issues, wild radish can be ingested or ap- ite flowers like a sow thistle.

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