大きく丸い聖護院だいこんは、元は長大根だったとか。 180年位前に、尾張の国から奉納された大根を、京都の篤農家が聖護院辺りで栽培するうちに、丸い大根になりました。苦みがなくほんのり甘味さえある聖護院だいこんは、長時間炊いても煮崩れせず、とろけるような味わいになるのが特徴です。 千本今出川から少し西に行ったところにある千本釈迦堂では、12月半ば、毎年中風除けを祈願しての大根焚が行われます。アツアツのとろけるような聖護院だいこんの味わいは、１年も２年も寿命を延ばしてくれるようだと、毎年長い行列が絶えません。

It is said that the big round Shogoin Daikon was originally a long-shaped Daikon. It’s origin dates back to 180 years ago, when the Daikons were brought to Kyoto as offering from Owari province (today’s Aichi Prefecture). An exemplary farmer took the seeds of the this long Daikon and sowed them around Shogoin Temple. For some odd reason, the daikon grew to be round instead of long.The Shogoin daikon is not bitter and is a little on the sweet side.Even when simmered for a long time, the structure of the Shogoin Daikon does not fall apart. When eating the cooked daikon, it immediately melts in your mouth even though the shape manages to stay intact throughout the cooking process.Every year in the middle of December, an event, called “Daikondaki” event (burning of Japanese radish) takes place at Senbon Shakado. This event is held for the purpose of keeping away diseases that lead to paralysis. People gather to pray for a long healthy life, so that they can continue to enjoy eating the soft, delicious daikon every year.

大大圓圓的聖護院白蘿蔔，原本也是長型蘿蔔。但約於180年前，京都的篤農家將自尾張國進貢來的白蘿蔔，於聖護院周邊進行栽培種植，漸漸就形成了大大圓圓的外觀。不帶苦味而有著淡淡甘甜的聖護院白蘿蔔，就算長點間燉煮，也不會被煮爛，特徵就是有著入口即化的口感。自千本今出川往西行即會看到的千本釋迦堂，每年於12月中旬點，都會舉辦去除中風的祈願儀式大根焚（煮蘿蔔）。藉由品嚐熱騰騰且柔軟如融化般的聖護院白蘿蔔，宛如能夠延長自己1年2年的壽命般，因此每年都吸引相當信眾大排長龍。