To which botanical family do radishes belong, contrasting them with beets?
Answer
Cruciferous or mustard family
Radishes, including the purple daikon variety, are classified botanically within the cruciferous or mustard family. This family membership is shared with other common vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale, and is responsible for the characteristic sulfurous compounds present in radishes, such as glucosinolates. This is distinctly different from beets, which belong to the amaranth group. The botanical separation means they have fundamentally different genetic makeups and, consequently, varied flavor profiles (peppery vs. earthy/sweet) and nutritional emphasis, even though both root vegetables grow partially beneath the soil surface.
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