benefits of radicchio

Radicchio aids digestion and colon cleansing by its fiber content. Also, radicchio has been used to fight intestinal worms and parasites to great effect. Lastly, radicchio promotes bile production, which improves digestion and reduces cholesterol.

Radicchio is easy to grow but performs best in spring (USDA Zone 8 and above) and fall (everywhere) gardens. It prefers more frequent but not deep watering, the amount of water varying based on soil type. Infrequent watering will lead to a more bitter tasting leaf. However, for fall crops the flavor is changed predominantly by the onset of cold weather (the colder, the mellower), which also initiates the heading and reddening process in traditional varieties. There are newer, selfheading varieties whose taste is not yet as good as a traditional variety which has matured through several frosts or freezes (e.g., Alouette).

According to traditional folklore, longterm use of chicory as a coffee substitute may damage human retinal tissue, with dimming of vision over time and other long term effects. Modern scientific literature contains little or no evidence to support or refute this claim. Root chicory contains volatile oils similar to those found in plants in the related genusTanacetumwhich includesTansy, and is likewise effective at eliminating intestinal worms. All parts of the plant contain these volatile oils, with the majority of the toxic components concentrated in the plants root.

A head of radicchio is heavier than a similar sized head of lettuce, but much lighter than cabbage. The exterior leaves should look fresh and undamaged. The cut end can be slightly browning, but not dark and certainly shouldnt be icky looking in any way.

Keep radicchio loosely wrapped in plastic in the vegetable drawer of a fridge for up to a week. Is the radicchio there for taste, to flaunt classiness or simply for a change of color? Too often, its the latter. Recipes that call for a leaf of radicchio in the presentation are hauntingly reminiscent of the lettuce cups of yesteryear. In using radicchio this way, a really sensational vegetable is abused.

Temper radicchios bitter edge by cooking it (see above)orserving it with sour things (vinegar, citrus juice, sour cream, salami), salty things (salt, olives, capers), or fatty things (oils, butter, cheeses, bacon) since they all chemically reduce the bitter compounds.

Highlight radicchios bright and bitter flavor by pairing it with sweet (sugar, fruits, jams) or pungent (mustard, anchovies, blue cheese, black pepper) foods. They can stand up to the bitter edge of radicchio, brightening that forward flavor without masking it.

At its natural habitat, radicchio is a coolseason vegetable. Althoughgrown in some parts of USA, a majority of it is imported from the Mediterranean, especially from Italy. Some of the varieties are grown locally and marketed year around in California state. If you grow in your home garden, ensure its edible head is blanched appropriately before harvesting (as in endives). In some parts, forced second growth (heads) are harvested, while its green, bitter, first heads discarded. To harvest, cut its round compact head off the root and trim away all its outer coppergreen leaves, just as in cabbage.

Radicchio is used mainly as leafy salad vegetable. Raw leaves have been sharp, pungent in flavor. Exposure to more intense daylight makes its leaves bitter, which is somewhat mellowed once cooked. In any case, the question may not be, why radicchio, but which radicchio? Radicchio (pronounced radEEkeyo) is the Italian name for a goodsized group of red chicories. These are not lettuce or cabbage, neither of which can replace radicchios fleshy, slightly bitter chewiness.

Radicchio can be safely eaten and has no caffeine content, eventhoughit belongs to chicory family vegetables. Radicchios are named after the towns in the Veneto region of northern Italy where most are grown. The one most popular in the United States, the darkred ball that looks like an undernourished cabbage, is Rosso da Verona. Now, however, many other kinds are becoming available; the price is usually $3 to $7.50 a pound.