Radicchio Rosso Tardivo di Treviso
The Radicchio Rosso di Treviso is one of the most appreciated leafy vegetables in Italy and worldwide. Radicchio is pronounced rad-EE-key-o. "Radicchio Tardivo" is a blanched type of Treviso Radicchio: the king of radicchios.
It is protected with the acronym IGP (Protected Geographical Indication).
The large production is in Treviso (Veneto region).
Radicchio Rosso di Treviso Tardivo is healthy, good, versatile, incredibly rich of vitamins and minerals! You can cook in a wide range of ways braised, grilled, in salad, in a soup, in risotto, or in a creamy pasta sauce.
The Origins: the wild chicory thanks to the work of selection and improvement it has become the fantastic Radicchio Rosso di Treviso. During winters farmers tried to preserve the radicchio in stables and that by chance they noticed that the hearts didn’t rot and actually became tastier and crunchier. Fresh waters were available to keep them fresh and it is said that this is the way this new way of farming started. So Radicchio Rosso Tardivo di Treviso is the products of a very complicated cultivation.
Blanching is a particular and unique technique that’s used in order to give the radicchio a better flavour. When tasting Radicchio Rosso Tardivo di Treviso you will appreciate the incredible taste. The blanching technique was first used a long time ago, in the countries of Northern Europe (in Belgium), but over the years it’s become a widespread technique. It consists in shielding the plant from the light so no longer stimulated to produce chlorophyll. The plant gradually looses colour and turn shades that tend towards white. Once in the dark the tissues undergo changes in their water, carbohydrates and proteins, and fibre, and in this way the characteristics of the end product are altered. The radicchio becomes sweeter, tenderer, crunchier and sweeter than it was in the field.
