If you eat a lot of Japanese food, you’re likely to encounter kaiware from time to time. This vegetable, pronounced “kai-wah-ray” in Japan, is a sprout from the mustard family. They are a young version of the daikon radish, harvested between three and six days after sprouting. Sushi restaurants like to add them to their rolls to give them a crunchy texture and a peppery taste.
Nutritionally, kaiware has a number of valuable vitamins and minerals. Notable among these is a rich supply of glucoraphanin, which has been demonstrated to prevent certain forms of cancer.
You can taste kaiware for yourself at our Japanese restaurant in Bellevue in our Dragon Roll, our asari miso soup, and other dishes.