General Information
Curly endive grows in loose heads of narrow, lacey outer leaves with curling green-rimmed tips. Inside the head is a compact heart of off-white leaves. The outer, darker leaves have a distinctive, slightly bitter flavor. The inner, lighter colored leaves are milder in flavor and have a subtle sweetness to them with a more delicate texture.
Curly endive contains significant amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin K as well as some Vitamin C. Additionally, it contains phosphorus, potassium and dietary fiber with the darker green leaves offering more nutrients than the white leaves.
History
Endive is believed to have originated near Sicily and the Mediterranean region. It has historical roots in Egypt, Rome and Greece as a salad vegetable. By 1548 it had made its way to England and later on in 1806 it first appeared in a seed catalog in the United States. The narrow leaved type such as Curly endive is believed to be younger than broad leaved varieties such as escarole with earliest documentation of this specific variety taking place in the 13th century. Curly endive can mistakenly be referred to as chicory, loose-leaf chicory, chicory endive, curly chicory and frisée. This is because the term “chicory” in the U.S. or France refers to what the British call endive and endive in Britain turns into chicory in France and America.
