Chicory Leaves & Greens

part of: Chicory

Chicory leaves encompass a family of bitter greens including witlof (Belgian endive), radicchio, and curly endive. They range from pale, tightly furled witlof heads to the deep red leaves of radicchio and the frilly, open heads of curly endive. All share a characteristic bitterness that varies in intensity by variety.

In the kitchen, chicory leaves are valued for the contrast their bitterness brings to richer ingredients. Witlof leaves make elegant cups for dips and fillings, radicchio adds colour and punch to salads, and curly endive holds vinaigrettes beautifully. They can also be grilled, braised, or roasted, which softens their bitterness and brings out a caramelised sweetness.

Fresh chicory greens are available at most Australian greengrocers and supermarkets, with witlof and radicchio being the most commonly stocked varieties.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Chicory is grown from seed in cultivated fields or greenhouses. The leafy varieties are harvested by cutting the heads or outer leaves at maturity. Witlof requires a unique two-stage process: roots are first grown in open fields, then lifted and forced in dark, warm conditions to produce the characteristic pale, torpedo-shaped heads. Other varieties like radicchio and curly endive are field-grown and harvested whole when the heads reach full size.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 16kcal
Protein 1.8g
Carbs 0.8g
Fat 0.2g
Fibre 1.8g Sugar 0.7g
Mass Distribution

1 cup, chopped is about 29 g.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon 0.86kg
Freshwater 0.17L
Land 48.1m²

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

bitter salad green

Classic dishes
  • Radicchio salad
  • Belgian endive salad
  • Italian bitter greens salad

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Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

FSANZ + USDA

How it was calculated

Analysed

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromChicory, leaves goes well withorange goes well withwalnut goes well withpear goes well withgorgonzola goes well withbalsamic vinegar goes well withanchovy shares a sourceBelgian Endive & Witloof shares a sourceChicory Coffee & Substitutes shares a sourceChicory Root shares a sourcePuntarelle
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