Radicchio
Modern cultivation of the plant began in the fifteenth century, in the Veneto region of Italy, but the deep-red radicchio of today was engineered in 1860 by the Belgian agronomist Francesco Van den Borre, who used a technique called imbianchimento (whitening) or preforcing to create the dark red, white-veined leaves. Radicchio plants are taken from the earth and placed in water in darkened sheds, where lack of light and ensuing inhibition of chlorophyll production cause the plants to lose their green pigmentation.
In Italy, where the vegetable is quite popular, it is usually eaten grilled in olive oil, or mixed into dishes such as risotto: in the United States it is gaining in popularity but is more often eaten raw in salads. As with all chicories, if grown correctly its roots can be used to mix with coffee. It can also be served with pasta, in strudel, as a poultry stuffing, or as part of a tapenade.
Radicchio Nutrition Facts: Calories, Carbs, and Health Benefits
TweetRadicchio is 93.14% water, 4.48% carbohydrates, 1.43% protein, 0.9% dietary fiber, 0.7% ash and 0.25% fat. One medium radicchio supplies you with 6.72 grams of carbohydrates, which is 5.17 percent of the minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates you should have daily, according to the Institute of Medicine (US). That same it has an energy value of 96 kJ (23 Calories) in a 100 g (3.5 Oz) amount and is an important source of Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) (283.56% of the Daily Value). So if your diet contains radicchio, it helps your body to stabilise blood clots and heal wounds faster, regulate concentration of calcium in the blood, maintain healthy bone growth and resorption and it is effective against excessive bleeding, osteoporosis by regulating calcium levels and neuronal damage in the brain. In addition it contains a considerable amount of Copper attaining 37.89% of the Daily Value in a 100 g (3.5 Oz).