I have grown radish as a decoy so that root maggot flies would leave my oriental Brassicas alone. (I don't claim that this really works, but I am desperate.) If I get a few good roots, that would just be a bonus.

I have now grown quite fond of the leaves and "rapini-like" shoots of the radish "Misato Rose". I usually pick the shoots just before the flower buds open up, but I sometimes enjoy eating the purple flowers. The stems are nice and crisp, lots of fiber, but it is a brittle fiber that is easy to chew (more fiber than celery, but easier to swallow than long strands of celery fiber). Leaves are mostly hairless, large older ones are still edible. Older stems have soft "thorns" that don't really impede eating, but may present a psychological barrier. The upper six inches of a shoot are free of "thorns". Once the primary shoot is harvested, secondary and tertiary shoots emerge from the petiole joints of older leaves. Young seed pods make good "rat tails".

Another radish that I use as a root maggot decoy is "Icicle" (of European origin?). Most plants yield leaves with hairs, though some plants have hairless leaves. The leaves are slightly bitter (Misato Rose leaves are also slightly bitter, but less so than those of Icicle). Icicle shoots are good but smaller and lower yielding than Misato Rose.

The leaves and shoots of Icicle and Misato Rose are somewhat mild, with just a trace of radish heat. Less heat than their roots.

An interesting quote from "Cornucopia II - A Source Book Of Edible Plants" by Stephen Facciola: "LO BOK Also called Chinese radishes... the leaves are generally hairless and are more palatable [as compared to Japanese Daikon]."

Then there are oriental radishes that are specifically bred for good leaves, but I have not tried any of these.

So Listmembers, what radishes are your favorites for leaf or rapini-like shoots? Qualities that specifically interest me: hairless leaves, no bitterness, mild heat.