Frisee
Culinary Use, Storage, & Benefits
Vegetable Profile: Frisee (Chicorium endiva)
Description
Frisee is a type of chicory, which hails from the Aster family of dandelion and lettuce. It grows wild in Europe, Asia, and North America. Its signature bitter leaves have been used in salad and in medicine for thousands of years. Cultivated frisee is the tamest of all chickories, offered as a seasonal green with tender, moist, and crunchy leaves.
Nutrition
Frisee is cooling in nature and has a wonderful anti-inflammatory action. It supports healthy circulation and blood production. It tonifies the gall bladder, liver, and skin. Its bitter taste comes from intybin, a metabolic stimulate that encourages bile production and aids digestion and nutrient assimilation. It also contains inulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. Frisee is also a good source of calcium and potassium.
Storage
Store like lettuce: in a waterproof container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Use
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! Many people in the US today are averse to the flavor of bitterness, however you can acclimate to it in order to receive all the wonderful health benefits of bitters. Traditionally, people throughout the world use bitters in food to cleanse the palate and boost the flavors of other foods. Fortunately, you don't have to eat raw frisee in a salad to enjoy it! In fact, the nutrients and fat-soluble vitamins are more easily assimilated when cooked (in fat!). Try sautéing some with bacon, in butter, coconut oil, or any other heat-stable saturated fat. Goes great with eggs, mushrooms, and cheese!
Sources:
The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood
Asparagus to Zucchini by Fairshare Coalition
Produce: A fruit and vegetable lover's guide by Bruce Beck
Our own experience!
