CHICORY (Cichorium intybus) and endive (Cichorium endivia) are closely related bitter leaves that I wouldn’t be without. Think of them as the olives of the salad world. Our sweetened palates make them an acquired taste for some—we are programmed to read bitterness as dangerous—but, once bitter clicks, it can become a real favourite.
Try a few bitter leaves as punctuations in a leafy salad, a well-dressed shredded chicory heart (the hearts tend to be sweeter than the leaves) or cook a few halved