You can find the radish in a lot more places than just the salad bowl.

Pliny tells us that there was at least one offering of a golden radish to the god, Apollo.

Every year in Oaxaca, Mexico, they celebrate The Night of the Radish – an entire festival centered on the carving of large radishes.

There are tantalizing references to radish dolls in Japan and Korea, but I was unable to find any concrete information on this. In fact, I wasn't able to find any reference to the dried apple head dolls that I know were made in the early years of the United States in The Appalachias. I'm not sure what the reason is, but I'll get to the bottom of it in another post. Meanwhile, if anybody knows how to make these, I'd appreciate the basic instructions.

Update: Five years later I found plenty of information about the apple head dolls. This site has clear instructions on how to make one.

Radishes are used as a winter cover crop and food source for deer by many in the hunting community. Apparently deer really like radishes, especially daikons. I came across the suggestion that a couple of broad rows be planted and maintained somewhere on your property away from your garden in order to keep the deer out of it. It seems that nothing in your garden is tasty enough to get them out of the radish patch. If two rows of radishes will keep the deer off my trees, I'm willing to do it.

Try
it
yourself

 Radish seed can contain up to 48% oil. This oil has potential as a source of biofuel.

And then there's “raphanidosis”. The preferred punishment for adultery in ancient Athens. That would be (how do I put this delicately?) using a radish as a substitute phallus to perform anal sex on the offender. (My goodness, that was difficult. And no, there is no picture for this one.)

On a lighter and much more enjoyable note, the Germans so enjoy their radishes that not only have they created a cultivar with enough flavor to hold its own next to their hearty beers, but they sing praises to it! Grab your favorite libation and sing along with The German Twins here.

A health to you!