Calories in Radishes, red

What makes radishes so powerful?

Red radishes defend themselves chemically using the same two-component system found in horseradish, wasabi, and mustard. When intact, the plant stores glucosinolates separately from an enzyme called myrosinase. Chewing crushes the cells, allowing myrosinase to contact the glucosinolates and convert them into isothiocyanates — volatile sulfur compounds that produce the characteristic peppery, slightly burning sensation. This so-called "mustard oil bomb" is an evolutionary defense against herbivores and pathogens. The red skin color comes from anthocyanins, the same pigments in red cabbage and blueberries, while the crisp white interior simply lacks those pigments. Radishes (Raphanus sativus) are among the fastest-growing cultivated vegetables, capable of reaching maturity in as few as 21 days under optimal conditions. That speed made them one of the first crops European farmers could harvest each spring after winter. The genus name Raphanus derives from the Greek for "quickly appearing," a nod to this remarkably short growing cycle.