“Radicchio is a leaf chicory (Cichorium intybus, Asteraceae), sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable which usually has white-veined red leaves. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicchio
I had it all the time in salad and do not really like the bitter taste. It was interesting to see the Italian radicchio in Venice Market. They look like a flower rather than the round melon ones we have in Canada. They also have medicinal properties: a blood purifier and an aid for insomniacs.
“In the same way that the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese-makers of Parma, Italy, have sought to protect the name "Parmesan" to signify only cheeses made in their region under the supervision of a regulating body, so too have the radicchio farmers of the Veneto sought to protect the names of some radicchio varieties, including Tardivo(see pic).”
“…the modern radicchio with its rich wine-red white-ribbed leaves was developed in the 1860s by Francesco Van Den Borre, a Belgian agronomist who applied the techniques used to whiten Belgian endive to the plants grown around Treviso…”
http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0094.htm
That site also has some cool links to radicchio recipes.
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