How to Eat Radishes like the French (Salted Butter Breakfast Radishes)

Last Updated on 12th May 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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There are actually over 100 radish varieties, but one of the most common that you’ll find in France is the Breakfast Radish. These are a favourite French snack and are typically served with salted butter (but more on that later)…

If you’re from the US or UK then you might not be overly familiar with this variety (I certainly wasn’t before I moved to Paris)! These radishes are slightly smaller than the common cherry belle radish and are a more elongated oblong shape as opposed to a circular shape. They are two toned red and white, with the red fading to a white bottom.

What are Breakfast Radishes?

Breakfast Radishes (also known as French radishes) are characterised by their elongated shape and can typically be found displayed in little bouquets at the market or even in the fresh produce section.

They have a mild peppery flavour but are slightly sweeter than the more commonly found cherry belle (the round variety that North Americans are most familiar with). The cultivar came about in 1879 and quickly became a popular staple across Paris dining institutions.

Both the radish and the leaves are edible in this variety. You can cook the radish but it’s most commonly eaten raw. Radishes are in season all year round in France as they are grown continuously, but the best season to buy and consume them is between March and June. This is when you’ll see them displayed in pride of place anywhere you can purchase fresh produce.

How to serve and eat French radishes

You’ll need just a few ingredients:

• Breakfast Radishes – in the US and UK you can find these in specialty markets, in France these are the most common type of radish found at the supermarket)
• French butter – this butter is unique in that it is salted! In France, two types of butter are available; doux and salé. One is sweet and the other is salted. You need the salted butter to serve with the radishes. If no salted French butter is available to you, then you can use unsalted butter with salt flakes on top. Make sure to add a finishing salt like fleur de sel as opposed to iodised salt for a crisper more authentic experience.
• French baguette – this is not a requirement to serve alongside your radishes but I find that the crisp crust of a fluffy baguette pairs beautifully with the crunch of the radish and the smooth fatness of the butter.

Despite their name, breakfast radishes are not eaten at breakfast! Instead, they are commonly served as a popular apéro snack (a tasty treat served before dinner- typically with a drink- as a way of ‘opening up the appetite’).

In order to serve up the radishes to your guests (or simply as a treat for yourself), make sure to wash the radishes well and cut off the roots. This kind of radish is typically grown in a sandy soil mix and so I find that they can be quite gritty to the touch prior to washing them.

You’ll want to wash the leaves and save them as they can add interest to a salad mix, sautée them with garlic to serve as a side dish, or alternatively add them to a pesto for a unique flavour.

Once you have cut off the roots and leaves, you’ll want to slice the radish open and stick in a small slab of butter in it! Another option is to simply dip your radish into the butter or slather a bit of butter on top of the radish. For a more well-rounded snack, you can eat the radish and butter with a small slice of toasted baguette.

If you have guests coming over, serve the butter alongside the radishes. One time I made the mistake of slathering butter over the radishes before my guests had arrived, and by the time they had made it to my apéro table, the butter had melted and did not lead to as much of a satisfying experience as it should have been!