into an artificial head to keep the inner leaves in the dark and relatively mild And popular “Belgian endive,” also known as witloof (“white-head”), is a double-grown, slightly bitter version of an otherwise very bitter chicory The plant is grown from seed in the spring, defoliated and dug up in the fall, and the taproot with its nutrient reserves kept in cold storage The root is then either replanted indoors and kept covered with soil and sand as it leafs out, or else it’s grown hydroponically in the dark The root takes about a month to develop a fist-sized head of white to pale green leaves, with a delicate flavor and crunchy yet tender texture This delicacy is easily lost Exposing the heads to light in the market will induce greening and bitterness in the outer leaves, and the flavor becomes harsh Greens from the Lettuce Family Lactuca sativa: nonbitter lettuces Loose-leaf varieties: open cluster of leaves Butter varieties: open cluster of soft, tender leaves, small midribs Batavian varieties: semi-open cluster of crisp, dense leaves Cos, Romaine varieties: loose head of elongated large leaves, prominent midribs Crisphead varieties: large, tightly wrapped heads of brittle, crunchy leaves Cichorium intybus: bitter chicories Chicory: open cluster of prominent stems and leaves Belgian “endive,” witloof: tight elongated head of blanched crisp leaves Radicchio: tight round to elongated head of red leaves Puntarelle: open cluster of prominent narrow stems and leaves Cichorium endivia: bitter endives Curly endive: open cluster of curly leaves Frisée: open cluster of finely cut, frizzy ...Loose-leaf varieties: open cluster of leaves Butter varieties: open cluster of soft, tender leaves, small midribs Batavian varieties: semi-open cluster of crisp, dense leaves Cos, Romaine varieties: loose head of elongated large leaves, prominent midribs... wrapped heads of brittle, crunchy leaves Cichorium intybus: bitter chicories Chicory: open cluster of prominent stems and leaves Belgian “endive,” witloof: tight elongated head of blanched crisp leaves... elongated head of red leaves Puntarelle: open cluster of prominent narrow stems and leaves Cichorium endivia: bitter endives Curly endive: open cluster of curly leaves Frisée: open cluster of finely cut, frizzy