Taming the Chicory

When cooking with winter's bold, bitter greens, balance is key

Bunches and heads of chicory are prolific throughout winter, difficult to miss with their with dramatic frilly, spiky, and cone-headed leaves. casanisa/Shutterstock

Winter is chicory season.

Chicories are the often-labeled bitter greens, which include radicchio, endive, puntarelle, and escarole. Bunches and heads of chicory are prolific throughout the season, difficult to miss with their with dramatic frilly, spiky, and cone-headed leaves. And while their bitterness can be off-putting to some, at winter’s peak, chicories are crisp, juicy, nutty, and mildly sweet—all qualities that pleasantly balance their natural bitterness.