Radicchio

Radicchio is a perennial, cultivated form of leaf chicory, grown for its colorful, white-veined red leaves that form a tight, cabbage-like head, and is a defining ingredient of Italian cooking. It belongs to the same species as Belgian endive and witloof, other cultivated forms of common chicory native to western Asia, North Africa and Europe, distinguished mainly by how the plant is forced and harvested rather than by variety. Radicchio's leaves carry the same bitter edge common to chicories, and are eaten raw in salads or grilled and roasted, which mellows the bitterness and brings out a natural sweetness.