IMO, it's a totally different kind of heat. Not a big radish fan, but am a huge fan of Horseradish, brown mustards, and chinese mustards. They have a more nasally type of heat that can clear up sinuses in a second, while peppers and capsaicin actually have PAIN built into them.

Kevin

Yeah, it's weird I like mustard greens, spicy brown mustard on brats, and wasabi on fish, but don't like horseradish and radishes. And they like radishes and horseradish but don't like mustard. But you're right about sinuses vs back of the throat burn.

I think there are milder kinds of radishes, and I know if you leave red radishes (like Sparkler) in the ground too long or during hot weather they get really spicy and woody, but my parents insist that when you go to the grocery store all you find is hot red radishes. Of course they've never looked at white ones like daikon.

I got a late start this year, didn't put any radishes in but I grew French Breakfast last year. I didn't eat any myself but I think those are supposed to be milder. I have seed left over, have Icicle too so may try that for fall.

I think the heat in radishes (mostly outer/skin) , horseradish, mustard, ..are the same kind of heat. They last a short time and the oil that carries the heat in them is not stable. My favorite in that category is horseradish. I am talking about freshly ground pure stuff not the sauce.
Plants in the mints family also produce similar sensation.
I like them all.

BTW: Horseradish is a member of cabbage family , not radishes.

Yeah Kevin nailed it... I can't stand radishes, but if your shrimp cocktail didn't clear your sinuses, you didn't use enough horseradish with yer ketchup. ;)

Slightly off topic, but someone pointed out a strange correlation.

People that love cilantro hate horseradish, and vice versa.

I love horseradish (and almost everything else) but hate (raw) cilantro. Any other testimony or speculation as to why this might be?

Dennis

Somebody made that up Dennis.

I LOVE both.

Kevin

I'm with Dennis on this. Don't care much for cilantro but I will use a bit in a couple recipes that call for it - pico de gallo and an excellent green chili recipe a friend gave me. They just wouldn't be as good otherwise, as odd as that sounds.

I love all the different heats. Radishes, horseradish, peppers, black pepper, nasturtiums, various greens, onions, garlic.. mmmm.

I think some of it has to do with the kinds of heat themselves. And some of it has to do with other flavor, like bitter or tartness.

I haven't tried nasturtiums, but anything "peppery" (as in black pepper) is good, we use black pepper like other people use salt (and I've had discussions with my parents about why my salt is in the "wrong" shaker, it's not like there's a big "S" on one and "P" on the other). Mustard seeds and greens - yum! Chiles - within reason (and I think I can say I like my Chinese food spicier than most Yankees since I can't seem to get it made hot enough here). And I have to have the hot yellow mustard for egg rolls.

But I just don't care for horseradish - what a way to ruin a good ham (I mean expensive Smithfield ham I buy for Easter). Though it's a must for cocktail sauce - can't dip shrimp in just ketchup. And I can't stand biting into a nice cool salad at my parents' house and finding a radish! Even my niece who likes (Japanese) radishes think the ones my parents buy or grow are too spicy.

Oh - and I LOVE cilantro (just had shrimp with pasta, squash, green coriander seeds salt, pepper cilantro and lime juice for dinner)

This post was edited by ajsmama on Fri, Jul 25, 14 at 17:44

I'm with BeesKnees (Sorry for the euphemism!). I embrace all forms of heat, brown mustard, horseradish, Spanish onion, Rocambole garlic etc.!

the thing is, even different kinds of peppers have different kinds of heat.

it's funny, my wife can't do wasabi at all, but loves hot peppers. I love it all.