Radicchio

The spontaneous species Cichorium Intybus, widespread throughout Eurasia since time immemorial, is known as wild chicory and by many other names, and was mentioned for the first time in Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 B.C.) and then frequently in Roman times. But radicchio as we know it today is the result of numerous varietals grown to improve it in Veneto over the centuries, until the nineteenth century when a Belgian botanist brought the whitening technique to Italy. Today there are a great many varieties of Radicchio: at Barduca they grow Tondo Rosso, Variegato Bianco and Spadone di Treviso out in the fields. The latter has IGP (protected geographical indication) marking as it is grown in a zone that reaches into the Municipality of Borgoricco.