Gone are the days when food just had to taste good – now it has to look good too. That’s why pink lettuce is the latest food fad doing the rounds.
Radicchio del Veneto, also known as La Rosa del Veneto, is a pink chicory which is thought to have come from the Veneto region in the 15th century. The leaf has similar properties to radish, having quite a bitter flavour, although it is easily counterbalanced by other ingredients.
But not only is radicchio good to look at it, the plant itself is very low in calories and is a good source of vitamin K, which aids in bone growth and development. Furthermore, the source of the pink, the chemicals quercetin and lycopene, also have antioxidant properties.
