Belgian endive

Cichorium intybus

vegetable · leaf · prebiotic

A tight white bud obtained by forcing a chicory root in the dark: witloof, “white leaf”, in Dutch, chicon in northern France and Wallonia. Mild and bitter, raw or braised, it provides lutein, folate and nitrates.

Origin

Belgium (around 1850)

Season (United States)

October to April · grows in your region

Preparation

The small hard cone at the base is removed for less bitterness; everything else is eaten.

Molecules

Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vegetable nitrates · Folates (B9) · ChlorophyllIn small amounts, not counted Fructans (inulin, FOS)

Did you know?

Legend has it born around 1830 in Schaerbeek, with a farmer who hid his roots in a cellar to escape taxes; around 1850, the head gardener of the Brussels botanical garden turned it into a crop.