Chicory
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Origin: Italy
Chicory is the basal leaves of the common chicory plant, consumed mainly in salads. Also known as radicchio (scientific name Cichorium Intybus), chicory is a plant probably of Chinese origin, but it has grown spontaneously all over Europe for centuries.
The many varieties of chicory can be placed in three main groups: green or white-leaved chicories (including cicorino and sugarloaf), red-leaved chicories (including the radicchios of Treviso, Verona and Castelfranco) and asparagus or spear chicories (also known as Catalogna, as it originates in the Catalonia region).
CURIOSITY
You have probably seen chicory flowers in the countryside without recognising them: they are single flower-heads (like dandelions), and white or indigo in colour.
