Endive (Cichorium endivia)

Endive flowers are edible.

Common Names
Endive, escarole (En); chicon, chicorée endive, scarole (Fr); escarola, escarol crespa (Sp); 苦苣, 菊苣 (Cn)

Plant Distribution
Europe, North America, Central Asia, tropical Africa

Edible Parts
Rosette or curled leaves are eaten raw in salad, boiled, steamed, sautéed, or cooked in soups, stews and mixed vegetable dishes. Blue flowers are used raw as salad, served as a garnish, or pickled in vinegar and oil.

Health Values
Beta-carotene: medium; vitamin E: medium; riboflavin: low; folic acid: medium; ascorbic acid: low; calcium: low; iron: low; protein: 1.4%. Leaves contain also chlorogenic acid and chicoric acid.

Read more: Endive, in Discovering Indigenous Treasures: Promising Indigenous Vegetables from Around the World. 2009. AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center.