Guam daigo and rakkyo

We love our pickled anything and everything on Guam -- including raddish and onions. 

Daigo is actually made with a white raddish that has been dyed yellow. A solution of water, vinegar, the liquid from the package, sugar, salt, and hot pepper is prepared to pickle the raddish to taste. This side dish keeps for several months in the fridge. It doesn't take but a day for the daigo to pickle -- but the longer the better. My recipe for daigo is in A Taste of Guam.

Rakkyo, on the other hand, is made from the large, white, bulbous end of a scallion. The onions are kept in a sweet solution already so the pickling liquid consists of that solution, vinegar, salt, and hot pepper. I prefer to cut each rakkyo in half so it will absorb the pickling liquid much faster and be ready to eat ASAP....in a week instead of two weeks. Here is my recipe for rakkyo.

Both types of "veggies" can be found in your basic Asian market. The scallions are primarily sold in jars without refrigeration while the raddish is in a clear package in the cold section.