A radish is a small, round or oblong root vegetable that grows underground, usually with bright red or pink skin and crisp white flesh inside. When you pull a radish from the garden, you'll often find it still attached to its leafy green top. Radishes have a sharp, peppery taste that makes your mouth tingle a bit, especially if you eat them raw.

Farmers and gardeners love radishes because they grow incredibly fast, sometimes ready to harvest in less than a month. You can slice them thin for salads, where their crunch and spicy bite add excitement to milder lettuce and cucumbers. Some people roast radishes, which mellows their sharpness and makes them taste almost like potatoes.

Different varieties of radishes exist around the world. The daikon, popular in Japan and Korea, grows long and white like a pale carrot and tastes milder than the common red radish. Some radishes grow as large as softballs, while others stay small as marbles.

The word can also describe a reddish color, like when someone's cheeks turn radish-red from embarrassment or cold weather.