Radish

RADISHES IN HISTORY

The ancient Egyptians are known to have cultivated radishes since 2700 BC at least.

When the Ancient Egyptians were building the pyramids, they paid the workers in radishes.

The Ancient Greeks revered radishes and made gold replicas of them to be offered to the god Apollo.

The ancient Roman writer Pliny described the radish as "a vulgar article of the diet...with a remarkable power of causing flatulence."

RADISHES IN LITERATURE

Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit enjoyed radishes. His favorite was a rather long variety called Long Scarlet.

In the novel Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O'Hara said: "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again," after eating a radish.

FUN RADISH FACTS

Varieties of radish include Bunny Tail, French Breakfast, Plum Purple and Sicily Giant.

The weight of radishes sold in the UK in 2012 was more than the weight of the Eiffel Tower.

The Mexican town of Oaxaca has a festival called Noche de rabanos (Night of the radishes) on December 23rd every year. It features a number of radish-themed events including radish carving.The radish carving competition has been held in Oaxaca every year since 1897.

Dulces Tradicionales Oaxaqueños entry at the 2014 Night of the Radishes

The centrepiece of Noche de rabanos is an exhibition of radish carvings usually including a Nativity scene carved out of radishes.

Sources Daily Express, Food For Thought by Ed Pearce