A Taste of Japan’s Winter Radish Festival

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No joke… a giant white radish figures in today’s Geo Quiz. This Asian root vegetable goes by a couple of names: Daikon or the winter radish.

Daikon

And in the Japanese city we’re looking for today this radish has a distinguished reputation. It’s said to bring health and good luck:

“People still cherish a tradition of eating all their food in season and December is the season of Daikon radish in Japan and that’s why they pick the Daikon for a special food.”

That special food comes shredded, boiled, pickled or chopped. There’s even a radish festival going on right now in a few of this city’s many temples. Here’s another hint… the city lent its name to an international agreement aimed at combating global warming.

But don’t confuse that with the warming effect of the radish. Stick around — the answer ‘s coming right up.

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The answer to our Geo Quiz today is Kyoto, Japan where a seasonal tradition is being celebrated this week at several of the city’s Buddhist temples. Anchor Marco Werman talks with Nori Akashi and Tomoko Inuishi from the Japan National Tourism Organization in New York City about the annual Daikon radish festival in Kyoto.