Radish

Let me tell you about radish, and why it bites the way it does.

That sharp, peppery sting on your tongue — some radishes carry a lot of it, some barely any, and you won't know which until you bite. So don't judge freshness by the sting. Judge it by what's bright and juicy on the cut side.

Choose by touch and sound first. A good radish feels heavy for its size, firm all the way through — press it, and it should resist, not give. The skin should be tight, glossy, no cracks. Snap it, and you should hear a crisp little crack, not a dull thud. Smell it too — it should smell clean, green, almost grassy. If it smells musty, leave it. Leave it sitting too long, and a radish doesn't go watery — it goes limp and rubbery, and the skin starts to wrinkle.

Now, some people say a big radish is always a better radish. No! Push past a certain size and the core turns pithy and woolly, even if the outside still looks fine. Cut it open before you trust it. That's the mistake: buying by size and ending up with a radish that looks generous and chews like cotton.

Buy small, buy firm, eat it fast, with good bread and good butter.