Now that I am thinking about it, I don’t have much of a presence on the internet. Not to date myself but, I started with an America Online (AOL) account, then I made an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) account. Back then it was THE cool way to message your friends. Then came Myspace, which was basically Facebook before Facebook. Now I have Facebook and Instagram, but I haven’t posted much of anything in years. I mostly surf Facebook Market Place for good deals and message friends from time to time. So I guess I am just a consumer, not a producer.   

Where did the Radish name come from?

I come from a mixed culture family, my mother is Taiwanese and my father is of Anglo-Saxon decent from the Midwest. When I was growing up I would spend my summer vacation months in Taiwan. My Taiwanese grandfather would pronounce my name (Robert) as Rowboáh. As in Chinese culture, whenever dealing with English names, they would try to find Chinese words that sound like the English one and replace it with that. In this case, he quickly found that the words for radish: 蘿蔔 Luóbo, sounded like Rowbo. It stuck. The áh sound at the end is the mixing in of Taiwanese Hokkien, common in Taiwan, to indicate familial endearment.  

Radish vs Carrot

Another interesting play on the words is the difference between how radish and carrot is spoken in Chinese. Unlike in English, how there are different names for each, in Chinese, radish: 蘿蔔 Luóbo, describes what is commonly know as a white radish, and carrot is simply: 紅蘿蔔 Hóng luóbo, red radish. So, it’s indicating that I am of mixed decent, a “white” radish.

What is a radish?

The white radish, also known as the Chinese radish is common in East Asia. Unlike the red radish (not the Hóng luóbo) that we in the U.S. would typically buy at the grocery store, it closely resembles a carrot. It has a long white root that grows underground and large leaves that protrude above ground. It is used to make various dishes throughout East Asia and the style of dish depends on the culture. If you want to learn more, see: Delighted Cooking: What is a White Radish web article.  

Radish cakes

One of my favorite breakfast foods when in Taiwan is the radish cake. It is made with white radish, rice, and water that is ground into a paste. Once it hardens into a gel, almost resembling tofu, it is cut into blocks and pan-fired until golden brown. It is served with various types of sauces but most commonly sweet soy sauce. People also often order eggs or breakfast sandwiches to go with them. If you want to learn more about radish cakes or Taiwanese breakfast foods, check out Taiwan Obsessed: A Taiwanese Breakfast Foods Guide web article.