Gegeol radish
| Gegeolmu Gegeol radish | |
|---|---|
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| Genus | Raphanus |
| Species | R. raphanistrum |
| Subspecies | R. raphanistrum subsp. sativus |
| Cultivar group | White radish |
| Cultivar | Gegeolmu / Gegeol radish |
| Origin | Korea |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 게걸무 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | n/a |
| Revised Romanization | gegeolmu |
| McCune–Reischauer | kegŏlmu |
| IPA | [ke.ɡʌl.mu] |
Gegeolmu(Gegeol radish) is a variety of white radish. It is a round, and pungent radish with a thick rind and firm flesh that does not gets 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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Gegeol radish, smaller and firmer than regular Korean radishes, weigh about 500 grams (18 oz), including the taproot and the greens. The bulbose-conical or napiform are about 6–7 centimetres (2.4–2.8 in) in diameter, and 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in circumference. The greens tend to grow outwards rather than upwards.
Compared to regular Korean radishes, gegeol radishes have 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 the sharper taste.[1] For enzyme activities, the protease and myrosinase activities of Gegeol radishes are higher, but the α-amylose activity is lower, compared to regular Korean radishes.[2]
Cultivation
Gegeol radish was traditionally grown in cotton fields or soybean fields in Icheon and Yeoju, in-between the main crops, usually for household consumption. Recently, it is also cultivated as local speciality 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 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
- gegeolmujocheong – also gegeol radish syrup, made by usual jocheong(rice syrup)-making process, but substituting water with radish juice, squeezed out from boiled down gegeol radishes
- gegeolmussigireum – also gegeol radish seed oil, made by pressing gegeol radish seeds
- mucheong – radish greens, dried to make siraegi or used fresh in cooking
- mumallaengi – dried radish, prepared by julienning radishes and sun-drying them
- siraegi – dried radish greens. Gegeol radish siraegi makes a good addition to dakbokkeumtang.
Dishes
- gegeolmudongchimi – a type of water kimchi, made by pouring boiled and then cooled water to sliced and salted gegeol radishes, pickled chilli, and the ingredients that are put in a cheesecloth bag: apples, pears, garlics, gingers, chilli seeds, scallions, and mustard greens. The ingredients in the cheesecloth bag are taken out after 20–30 days.
- gegeolmukimchi – 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 aekjeot, gochutgaru(chilli powder), chopped scallions, minced garlic, grated ginger, and maesilcheong(plum syrup). It is a salty kimchi that lasts more than three years.
- gegeolmujangajji – a type of jangajji, made by dying diced and salted gegeol radish with gardenia seeds water, then soaking the it in brine and letting it age
Tea and desserts
- gegeolmucha – also 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.
- gegeolmujeonggwa – a type of jeonggwa, made by salting thinly sliced gegeol radishes overnight and draining it, then soaking them in rice syrup for 10 miutes and drying the soaked pieces on a tray for a day. When properly dried, the pieces are made into flower shapes.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Icheon Gegeolmu". Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. University of Gastronomic Sciences. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- 1 2 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.