Endive

Endive season

Originally a winter vegetable,the endive (also called chicon in Northern France) is now available to consumers year-round thanks to adapted production techniques.

Nutritional value of the endive

Very low in calories (15 kilocalories per 100 grammes), as it is made up almost entirely of water (95%), the endive is full of good vitamins (C, B1, B2, PP) and selenium. It contains fibre which facilitates intestinal transit.

Endive varieties

There are several varieties of endive which are all, however, quite similar in taste. These varieties include:

• Northern endive;
• Chioggia, red chicory;
• and the cross breed of these two varieties, Carmine.

Storing and cooking endives

Naturally fragile, endives must be handled with care. They can be stored away from the light for five to six days out of their packaging and in absorbent paper in the vegetable crisper.

Endives are good raw as well as cooked. Their bitter flavour can be partially eliminated by removing the small cone located at the base of the vegetable.