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Red Chicory
History
Chicory was for centuries erroneously considered a plant of no great account. In the past its leaves were used primarily for forage for animals and the dried roots were toasted and mashed and used as a surrogate for coffee. Chicory of ancient Asian origin and was introduced to the land possessions of the Republic of Venice in around 1400, when its extensive cultivation was begun, especially in the area of Treviso. Chicory was an object of study in Venetian botanical gardens as early as the 1500s, and it began to be consumed on Venetian tables only in the nineteenth century, whether raw, boiled or fried in a pan with bacon. Other chicories, on the other hand, were sewn in summer and consumed in the autumn and spring as “shoots”. To withstand the cold they were protected by covering the rows of vegetables with dry leaves or even transplanting to crates and brought into maturity in the heat of a stall. The selection that led to the variety that made the Veneto region the stronghold of all Italian chicory varieties is much more recent.
Product Characteristics
As in the nearby territory of Verona, red chicory grows on loose and well-drained land. The most valued variety has a compact oval tuft, with dark red leaves and a white central nerve that stands out. It is cultivated as an early variety and is available on the market from October throughout November and in the late variety, which is ready for consumption from December to late January, after a period of forced whitening that confers the product with a crisp consistency and a bitterish taste. These are precisely the traits for which the variety is in demand, for fresh consumption, first and foremost. Second in demand is the mid-to large tuft variety that is well closed and tends to be spherical in shape; the leaves have a crisp consistency and the taste is bitterish. It is suitable for fresh consumption, but is in any case preferred for transformation, as an ingredient of rice dishes, pasta filling, salted quiches and sauces, or cooked in a frying pan as a side dish to accompany braised meats.
The red chicory has diuretic and purification properties and is indicated in cases of demineralisation, constipation, anaemia, diabetes, hyperuricaemia and insomnia. The average yield of 10 quintals per hectare refers to two physiologically similar varieties, which are different in terms of the time of maturation and harvest.
- Early variety
The early variety has an expanded medium to large tuft and open red leaves with a white nerve. It has a compact heart, closed in the upper part and having a slightly oval shape. It is sewn inn the field in the second half of July; it has red leaves even in the early stages of development and thus requires no forcing; the weight of the heart when the chicory is ready for sale varies from 150 to 350 grams. Once harvested, it may be put on the market immediately, from the beginning of October until the end of November.
- Late variety
The late variety is sewn at the beginning of August and has a vegetative cycle with slower formation of the tuft. The leaves are prevalently greenish and turn red only with the initial cold spells of late autumn. After harvest, which starts at the beginning of December and lasts until late January, the tuft is cleaned and subjected to forcing for twenty days or so in the field, in bunches protected by nylon canvas coverings; this operation leads to the formation of a heart weighing between 100 and 300 grams, which increases the compactness, tenderness and sweetness of the leaves. The richness of the substances accumulated during the long period of growth makes the late chicory the more suitable for conversion than the early chicory. The presence of this chicory on the market when supplies of the other varieties have been exhausted is one of its great commercial attractions.
Who Produces Red Chicory?
The southern part of the province of Vicenza has always had a pronounced vocation for vegetable produce, due to the fertile and light composition of the soil and the abundance of water. The heart of chicory cultivation is in Asigliano Veneto, a village in the southern extremity of the Province, as well as the cities of Poiana Maggiore, Noventa Vicentina, Sossano, Orgiano and in the Berici Hills region, reaching Vicenza, on prevalently alluvial terrain. The total production varies from 1.700 to 2.000 quintal per year. In order to valorise the product and guarantee its origin, local producers have requested and obtained certification by the “Land of Palladio” trademark.
TECHNICAL CARD
- Botanical name: Cichorium intybus.
- Family: Cicorie.
- Production: about 100 quintals per hectare.
- Area cultivated: about 400 hectares.
- Period of production: from July to November for the early variety and from August to the end of January for the late variety.
- The tuft: the tuft weighs from 150-350 grams for the early type and from 100-300 grams for the late type. It is marketed with a small part of the root (the taproot), which is no more than 4 cm in length and has a diameter in proportion with the dimensions of the tuft. Following harvest, the late variety requires further transformation, with a phase of forced whitening, which is performed by grouping the plants horizontally to form stacks.
- The leaf: favoured by low winter temperatures, the chicory leaves take on the typical intense dark red colour, being closely planted together and giving the tuft the typical compact “bunched” shape. The main nerve of the leaves is quite developed and is white in colour, as far as the late variety is concerned.
THE BASSANO WHITE VARIEGATED CHICORY
Contrary to the Asigliano red variety, the white variegated chicory has a creamy white colour and is uniformly variegated with red and violet streaks.
It also has a homogeneous tuft and an average weight of around 350 grams, is rounded in shape and characterised by crisp inner leaves. It has an initial ring of flat leaves, followed by a second slightly higher ring, a third ring that is even more inclined and then continues as you move in towards the heart of the tuft. The leaves are thick and indented, the surface is undulated and the shape is rounded. It is cultivated in sandy terrain, in alluvial creek areas, the area around the Brenta river on the Vicentine side of the river.
This variety is resistant to the first frost and may be marketed with the tuft closed or open. It is different from other variegated chicories in that the shape of the leaves is different and, instead of closing, they open up to the heart of the tuft, conferring the tuft with the shape of a rose. The variegated white chicory of Bassano is a good early alternative to the most important variegated varieties and is suitable for the fresh vegetable market and for exportation. It has a cycle that varies between 30 and 150 days. The taste is extremely delicate and it varies from sweet to pleasantly bitter.
TRADE FAIRS AND EVENTS
Asigliano
(December):
Festa del Radicchio rosso
(The Red Chicory Festival)
Ph. +39 0444 872167
Recipes
Red chicory risotto
4 servings:
320 g. rice,
2 tufts of red chicory,
2 garlic cloves,
1 cup of white wine
2 tablespoons of grana padano cheese
1.5 l. broth (even made with cube).
2 tablespoons of extra virgin
olive oil,
20 g. butter.
Shallow-fry in oil and butter one garlic clove but remove it before it gets brownish, add sliced chicory keeping aside the cores. Pour some white wine and let chicory fade.
Add rice, blend and add broth little by little until done. Before removing from heat add grated grana padano cheese and a bit of butter. Season with white pepper and serve. As ornament, put in the middle of dish the chicory cores.
Notice that you can pour red wine instead of white wine so you’ll add color to your risotto.
Grilled red chicory
4 servings:
4 tufts of red chicory,
extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
Clean and peel the chicory, dry and cut into two lenghtwise pieces. Lay on a tray, season with oil, salt and pepper and let it marinate for some minutes. Grill it over low heat; keep the cut part up. Dress with oil if necessary. Serve hot.
Risotto with salami and Asigliano chicory
Prepare beef broth. Dice an green onion and let it brown in some oil and butter.
Add minced (fresh salami). Dress with salt herbs and very thin sliced Asigliano’s chicory. Blend and let brown slightly.
Then add rice (vialone nano
variety) and let it toast. Pour plentiful dry red wine and then some boiling strained beef broth. When rice gets ready
remove from heat and add
grated Grana Padano cheese and bits of butter.
Lay risotto upon a base of
borlotti beans previously spiced with rosemary. Guests should mix the two ingredients on their dishes once served.
Cheese and chicory dumplings in pumpkin soup
Slice chicory very thin and let it brown in some oil and butter previously spiced with diced white leek.
Season with salt and pepper, pour some Clinto vinegar. Let the whole dry.
While warm blend with ricotta cheese add white flour, grated Grana Padano cheese and the eggs. Season with nutmeg and salt.
With this mush, mould some big dumplings (as big as a nut).
Cook into boiling salted water. When dumplings rise you should drain them. Dress them with melted butter and oil. Put the dumplings in the Pumpkin soup and serve hot.
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