Endive

Endive is a leafy vegetable of the daisy family grown for cooking and salads, believed to have originated in Egypt or Indonesia and cultivated in Europe since the sixteenth century, with France remaining its largest producer today. Three main forms are grown: frisee, with narrow, curled leaves, curly endive, with broader curled and ruffled leaves, and escarole, with broad, only slightly wavy leaves. All three carry the same characteristic mild bitterness, and endive is most often eaten raw in salads, though it can also be braised or cooked, and is frequently confused in the United States with its close relative chicory.