With its white heart, fragrant and crunchy, it is perfect for a salad or ‘mbuttunata!
Origin
Escarole, is an endive variety belonging to the Composite family. It has European origins and it was already cultivated by the Romans. Largely produced in Italy, escarole is easily recognizable because of the rosie head, the long and wavy green leaves and the contrast of the white, folded inside. Temperate climates are its favorites, the seeds are planted in July-August and then it is picked in autumn till the end of the winter. You can find different types of scarola: Gigante degli ortolani, Dilusia, Scarola di Bergamo, Bionda a cuore pieno, Cornetto di Bordeaux.
Cookit
The crunchy and fleshy leaves of escarole are perfect to make delicious dishes. In salads, they are the protagonists thanks to their slightly bitter taste, but they can be cooked as they do in the south of Italy, to make soups and pizza. Delicious sauteed or stewed, to accompany fish dishes. A creative recipe from Campania is ‘mbuttunata escarole, with raisins, pine nuts and anchovies!
Did you know
Two weeks before the harvesting time, the heads of the escaroles are tied with raffia fibers, to start the so called whitening process. Why? To prevent sun rays to hit the entire plant, avoiding the production of chlorophyll that gives the typical green color. The internal leaves will remain white and the taste will be sweeter and more fragrant.
