This Honey Daikon is a whole-food, natural syrup that has been made from real food! If you are looking for a homemade cough syrup, try this one!

Honey and daikon (Japanese radish) are perfect pairings because the natural antibacterial properties found in both ingredients will help you prevent colds and suppress sore throat and coughing.
In Japan, honey daikon is a traditional home remedy that has been used for centuries.
When our kids start coughing, I immediately go to my kitchen and make honey daikon! It's sweet and easy to drink, so we love it and also enjoy the leftover crunchy daikon.
*Babies younger than 1-year-old should not be given honey
- This recipe is for you if:
- You want to make homemade cough syrup.
- You are looking for cough syrup recipe
- You wants to prevent catching colds.
Let me walk you through the ingredients and the instructions. If you just want to check the recipe, jump to the recipe. Let's get started!
About this Recipe
- Homemade cough syrup
- Straightforward recipe
- Sweet and easy to drink
- The leftover daikon is crunchy and tasty
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

Daikon's taste varies depending on which part you use: Upper part is sweet, Lower part is peppery.
- Daikon (Japanese radish): Find good-looking daikon that is glossy and not bumpy. Its taste varies depending on which part you use: Upper part (close to leaves) is sweeter, lower part is more peppery. If you are not good at peppery taste, use the upper part, which is more sweet and watery.
- Honey: Pick the one with no added ingredients such as sugar or corn syrup. It's a little expensive, but manuka honey has more antibacterial properties than other types of honey and will work well.
By the way, if you are not familiar with daikon, check this recipe: Japanese Daikon Radish 5 Recipes. In this recipe, we go over what daikon tastes like, how to cook it, how to pick a good one, how to store it, etc.
🔪Instructions
Let me show you how to make it.

- Cut the daikon into small pieces
- Put them in a jar and add honey
- Let it sit
While it sits, the natural syrup forms as the water from the daikon flow more and more.
The photo on the left is right after putting it in a jar, and the right is one hour later.
The daikon will become smaller and crunchier, like pickles, as you leave it.
So, you can have some homemade syrup for your throat and also enjoy eating the leftover daikon.
How to Drink It
Just have the syrup as it is. Scoop about 2-3 teaspoons with a spoon and drink.
You can also drink it mixed with hot water or cold.
Mixing with hot water is a great way to warm up on cold days! Lemon juice and slices of lemon are also nice additions that will add flavor.
Thanks For Stopping By!

This Homemade cough syrup is easy to make with just honey and daikon. It's a natural remedy that can help you if your throat feels scratchy or isn't working well!
I hope this helps!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you’ve tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.
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📖 Recipe

Honey Daikon (Cough Syrup)
Print Pin SaveIngredients
- 150 g Daikon, 3cm/1.2inches
- 3 tablespoon Honey, 60g
Instructions
- Peel the daikon and cut it into dice.
- Put them in a jar and add honey over.
- Let it sit for at least one hour or overnight.
Notes
- Container: Weck mold jars 250ml
- Storage: 5 days in the refrigerator
- Watch how To Video
Peg
Bonjour,combien de temps se garde cette préparation s'il vous plaît ? Au frigo ? À température ambiante?merci
JURI
Hi Peg, thanks for your comment. Let the syrup sit in the fridge for 1 to 3 hours before drinking. You can store it in the fridge for about five days. I hope this helps!
Molly
Where can I buy the Daikon?
JURI
Hi Molly, if you can't find daikon at your local grocery store, try to find it at local Asian grocery stores and farmer's markets. You can also substitute it with white turnips. I hope you can find it!
Simona
It's not bad and it works 😊 helped me a lot with my cough today. Thank you.
JURI
Hi Simona, thanks for trying the syrup! It's a natural way to remedy your throat and we love it!