How to Choose the Right Microgreens for Any Dish

The variety you choose matters as much as how you use it. Picking the wrong microgreen for a dish can feel like using the wrong herb — technically fine, but off. This guide maps each variety to the cooking contexts where it shines.

Mild and versatile: Pea Shoots & Sunflower

If you're new to microgreens or cooking for people who are picky about strong flavours, start here. Pea shoots taste like fresh garden peas — sweet and clean. Sunflower microgreens have a mild nuttiness. Both work in salads, sandwiches, pasta, and grain bowls without competing with other flavours.

Bold and peppery: Arugula & Radish

These are the assertive ones. Arugula microgreens bring the same sharp, peppery bite as mature rocket but in a lighter, more delicate form. Radish microgreens are spicier and slightly more intense. Use them where you'd use a strong herb or want to cut through richness — on pizza, in tacos, on top of fatty fish or a cheese board.

Herbal: Cilantro

Cilantro microgreens deliver the unmistakable bright, citrusy flavour of the mature herb with a softer texture. Use them anywhere you'd use fresh cilantro: curries, pho, salsa, Southeast Asian noodle dishes. They're particularly useful as a garnish when you want the cilantro flavour without the texture of the larger leaves.

Quick reference

• Salads and grain bowls → Sunflower, pea shoots, arugula
• Tacos, wraps, and Mexican dishes → Radish, cilantro
• Soups, pho, and curries → Cilantro, pea shoots
• Pizza and bruschetta → Arugula, radish
• Smoothies → Sunflower, pea shoots
• Sandwiches → Any variety — mix and match