Variety of flowering plant
Gegeolmu
, or
gegeol radish
, is a variety of
white radish
. It is a round, pungent radish with a thick rind and firm flesh that does not get soft even after a few years of storage as
kimchi
.
[1]
Being a speciality crop of
Icheon
and
Yeoju
in Korea, gegeol radish has been included in the
Ark of Taste
, an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods.
[1]
Description
[
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]
The gegeol radish, smaller and firmer than regular
Korean radishes
, weighs about 500 grams (18 oz), including the
taproot
and the greens. This bulbous conical or napiform root vegetable is about 6?7 centimetres (2.4?2.8 in) in diameter and 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in circumference. Its greens tend to grow outward rather than upward.
Compared to regular
Korean radishes
, the gegeol radish has a lower water content but more
protein
,
fibre
, and minerals (
magnesium
,
potassium
, and
calcium
).
[2]
It also has a higher content of a sulfur compound that is responsible for its sharper taste.
[1]
With regard to enzymes, the
protease
and
myrosinase
activities of the Gegeol radish are higher but the
α-amylose
activity is lower than regular
Korean radishes
.
[2]
Cultivation
[
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]
The gegeol radish has traditionally been grown in
cotton
fields or
soybean
fields in the
Icheon
and
Yeoju
areas of South Korea for household consumption, in between the rows of the main crops. More recently, it has also been cultivated as a local specialty crop for commercial purposes.
Either the seeds or the roots are planted in early spring. In late spring or early summer, the seeds for the next spring can be gathered. The young leaves can be harvested throughout the spring, summer, and autumn for use as
namul
vegetables. In autumn, the entire plant is harvested.
Culinary use
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]
Because of the pungent
cruciferous
flavour, the roots of the gegeol radish are often consumed after having been salted and buried in the ground during the winter. The greens are used fresh or dried in
namuls
,
soups
, and
other dishes
.
Ingredients
- gegeolmu-jocheong
or gegeol radish syrup ? made by the usual
jocheong
(rice syrup)-making process, but substituting water with radish juice, squeezed out from boiled down gegeol radishes.
- gegeolmu-ssi-gireum
or gegeol radish seed oil ? made by pressing gegeol radish seeds.
- mucheong
? radish greens, dried to make
siraegi
or used fresh in cooking.
- mu-mallaengi
? dried radish, prepared by
julienning
radishes and
sun-drying
them.
- siraegi
? dried radish greens. Gegeol radish
siraegi
makes a good addition to
dak-bokkeum-tang
.
Dishes
- gegeolmu-dongchimi
? a type of
dongchimi
(radish water
kimchi
), made by pouring boiled and then cooled water onto sliced and salted gegeol radishes, pickled chilli, and the ingredients that are put in a cheesecloth bag: apples,
pears
, garlics, gingers,
chili
seeds,
scallions
, and
mustard greens
. The ingredients in the cheesecloth bag are taken out after 20?30 days.
- gegeolmu-kimchi
? a type of
kimchi
, made by marinating diced and salted gegeol radish with lightly salted
mustard greens
and seasoning. The seasoning can be made by boiling
glutinous rice
powder in water, cooling it, and mixing in
fish sauce
,
chili powder
, chopped
scallions
, minced garlic, grated ginger, and
plum syrup
. It is a salty kimchi that lasts more than three years.
- gegeolmu-jangajji
? a type of
jangajji
(pickled dish), made by dying diced and salted gegeol radish with
gardenia
seed water, then soaking it in
brine
and letting it age.
Tea and desserts
- gegeolmu-cha
or gegeol radish tea ? made by dry-frying sliced gegeol radishes. The tea is known as a natural antioxidant and also helps with
respiratory ailments
or light
digestive problems
.
- gegeolmu-jeonggwa
? a type of
jeonggwa
, made by salting thinly sliced gegeol radishes overnight and draining it, then soaking them in rice syrup for 10 minutes and drying the soaked pieces on a tray for a day. When properly dried, the pieces are made into flower shapes.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
- ^
a
b
c
"Icheon Gegeolmu"
.
Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity
.
University of Gastronomic Sciences
. Retrieved
27 December
2016
.
- ^
a
b
Kim, Haeng-Ran; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Yang-Suk; Kim, Kyung-Mi (2007).
"Chemical Characteristics and Enzyme Activities of Icheon Ge-Geol Radish, Gangwha Turnip, and Korean Radish"
.
Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
.
39
(3): 255?259.
ISSN
0367-6293
– via e-Article.
For this investigation, we analyzed the chemical characteristics and enzyme activities of Icheon Ge-Geol radish, Gangwha turnip, and Korean radish. Regarding their proximate compositions, the water contents of the Icheon Ge-Geol radish, Gangwha turnip, and Korean radish were 87.78, 92.73, and 91.45%, respectively. The crude protein, crude fiber, and ash contents of the Icheon Ge-Geol radish were 1.35, 1.11, and 1.55 however, total dietary fiber was significantly lower. For mineral content, the magnesium, potassium, and calcium levels of the Icheon Ge-Geol radish were higher than the other samples. With regards to the enzyme activities of the samples, the protease and myrosinase activities of the Icheon Ge-Geol radish were higher than in the other samples. For α-amylose activity, the Korean radish showed the strongest activity (18.99 units/g of sample), followed by the Gangwha turnip and Icheon Ge-Geol radish.