Radicchio

Name: Radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) — a chicory with deep red-purple leaves and white veins, forming a tight, round or elongated head, with a distinctively bitter, spicy flavour. Types include Chioggia (round), Treviso (long) and Castelfranco.

Description

Radicchio is closely associated with the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy, where it has been grown since the 16th century, and a method of “forcing” the plants in the dark developed in the 19th century by a Belgian agronomist created the deep red colour and milder taste of the Treviso types. It became popular in North America and Britain in the 1980s.

The red colour comes from anthocyanin pigments, which also give cooked radicchio a brown colour. The bitterness is strong raw, but mellows and sweetens when grilled, roasted or braised.

Main nutrition value

Radicchio provides vitamin K, folate, copper, potassium and fibre, with anthocyanin and other antioxidants and a bitter taste that comes from plant compounds.

How best to be consumed

Radicchio is bitter, so it is balanced with fat, sweetness and acid, or mellowed by cooking.

1. Grill or roast wedges with olive oil, then finish with balsamic vinegar and shaved Parmesan.
2. Slice thinly into salads with oranges, nuts and a sweet dressing.
3. Add to risotto, pasta and pizza, where the bitterness mellows.
4. Soak shredded leaves in cold water to reduce bitterness.
5. Store whole heads in the fridge, where they keep well.

Overconsumption could cause…

Radicchio is safe in food amounts.

1. Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the high vitamin K content, so keep intake steady rather than avoiding them.
2. Bitterness that some people find unpleasant.
3. Allergic reactions in people sensitive to ragweed or other daisy-family plants.
4. Digestive upset from inulin in large amounts, in some people.

GroupsLeafy Green VegetablesDaisy family (Asteraceae)Low fatLow sodiumItalianFresh

Related foodsShungiku / Chrysanthemum GreensChicoryOak Leaf LettuceIceberg LettuceLettuceCos Lettuce

Wikipedia — Radicchio, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicchio