Radicchio Rosso Tardivo

Radicchio Rosso from Treviso is one of the most requested and appreciated specialties of the whole Veneto region, its pleasantly bitter and crunchy taste makes it unique. Recognized by the European Union with the PGI mark, (Protected Geographical Indication) for its quality and its typical characteristics that associate it with a specific territory.

In fact, the red chicory is grown between the provinces of Treviso, Venice and Padova and must be obtained according to the traditional technique of forcing and whitening after harvesting. Normally it takes place from November, and after the first winter frosts, it is placed in tanks of running water to bring it to the typical white and red-red colored head.

A red flower, fresh and delicate, its slender leaves caress you while you work it in the kitchen, when you eat it it crunches between your teeth, releasing a hint of spring water, delicately bitter, a typical expression of the Treviso rural culture.

A unique and inimitable vegetable, which differs in two types: the early red radicchio presents itself with a broad leaf and a more bitter taste, a less valuable type, grown in the open field after the summer, the tufts are tied to continue maturation and forced whitening.

The late red radicchio, on the other hand, is much more valuable, given the more complex production process, it has longer and thinner leaves, with the central part white and the leaves of an intense purplish red color.

This typology is grown in the open field, and after taking two hoarfrosts it is collected and tied in bunches, placed in tanks of running water at a constant temperature of 12-15 degrees, for the whitening phase. A very versatile winter vegetable, it can be used for raw salads or for the preparation of cooked dishes, from the first, the second to the desserts.