Radicchio of Treviso: historical background and area of production

Recognition CE: CE Reg. N.1263 / 96.

The red Radicchio of Treviso IGP or PGI in english, traditional expression of the rural culture of Treviso, is a chicory derived from botanical species Cichorium intybus L and in the horticultural products is classified, together with the Variegated Chicory of Castelfranco Veneto, between chicory to force and distemper.
Of uncertain origin, the radish appears in Italy in the sixteenth century in the province of Treviso, at Dosson, where to food of the poor, through particular technics, became the most prized and searched vegetables that grow in cold season. However we have little news documented only since the second half of 800. The history of the radicchio of Treviso is however much older , as we find it depicted even in a context of ‘ 500 , ” The Wedding at Cana ” by Leandro da Ponte , called Bassano , now in the Louvre .

His consecration takes place by the Lombard agronomist Giuseppe Benzi who, moved in 1876 in Treviso as a teacher and became head of the Association of Treviso Agriculture, gave birth to the first show of radicchio 20 December 1900, in the Loggia of Piazza dei Signori in Treviso.
In one of the ‘900 article newspaper radicchio was described in this way: “… .modest first, almost fearful of bad reception, it not go out of the province except to remind some distant friend the happy days … and the family nest and the young heart: today is sold in quintals, in chariots, in wagons whole, penetrates all the Italian regions, it exceeds the sea arriving in America; crosses the Alps reaching the heart of Europe “.
The seeds of the red radicchio from Treviso and Castelfranco Variegato also went into orbit in the Shuttle mission STS-95 in 1998 as part of NASA SEM project, aimed at testing the effects of microgravity on seeds and plants.
The production area covers 17 municipalities in the province of Treviso, 2 in the province of Padova and 5 in the province of Venice.

Radicchio of Treviso Features

The radicchio of Treviso IGP has a tuft of elongated shape and is produced in the early and late types. The first is characterized by the tuft voluminous and well closed. The leaves are of intense red color with a very accentuated main rib of white color. They have a slightly bitter taste and a rather crisp consistency.
The second shows the tight leaves, enveloping that tend to close the tuft at the apex. For this the leaves have an intense wine-red color, a pleasantly bitter flavor and a crunchy texture.

Source: agraria.org