Castelfranco Radicchio

Name: Castelfranco Radicchio
Brand: LE MARCHE
SKU: LRADLET
Price: 5.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

£5.00

Net: 130g Cream leaves with wine-red variegation Cross between radicchio di Chioggia

The most beautiful salad leaf in the Italian repertoire — pale cream, flecked with burgundy, and opened like a rose. Milder than red radicchio, with a bitterness that suggests rather than insists. Tear, dress simply, and let the leaf speak.

£5.00

Castelfranco radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) from the Veneto — the variegated winter chicory known in Italy as la rosa di Castelfranco for the way its pale, speckled leaves open like a flower. Each head is cream to pale yellow with irregular burgundy and wine-red flecks scattered across the leaves, making it one of the most visually striking salad ingredients you can put on a plate. The variety originated in Castelfranco Veneto and is a cross between radicchio di Chioggia and a broad-leaf endive, combining the bitterness of one parent with the mildness of the other.

What makes Castelfranco different from the more familiar red radicchios is restraint. The bitterness is present but gentle — closer to a suggestion than a statement — and the leaves have a delicacy that Chioggia and Trevigiano cannot match. This is a salad leaf, not a cooking leaf. It is at its best raw, torn into wide pieces and dressed simply, where the colour and texture can do the work. The mild bitterness pairs well with sweet and rich counterpoints: walnuts, pear, Gorgonzola, honey, pancetta, aged balsamic. It can be lightly grilled, but heat diminishes both the colour and the subtlety that make it worth buying in the first place.

Origin: Veneto, Italy

Ingredients: Castelfranco radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum)

Storage: Refrigerate immediately. Store whole and unwashed in the crisper drawer or loosely wrapped. Use within three to four days — the leaves wilt faster than denser chicory varieties.

Separate the leaves from the core by hand, tearing gently rather than cutting — the leaves bruise easily and a knife edge will brown.

Wash briefly in cold water and dry carefully. The leaves are thin and fragile, so handle them as you would a soft herb rather than a salad green.

Dress simply with good olive oil, a squeeze of lemon or a few drops of aged balsamic, and a pinch of salt. The colour and shape of the leaves are part of the point — arrange them loosely on the plate rather than tossing into a pile.

Pair with walnuts, shaved Parmesan, sliced pear, crumbled Gorgonzola or thin ribbons of pancetta. Avoid heavy, creamy dressings — they mask the delicacy.

If grilling: halve or quarter through the root, brush with olive oil and cook briefly over high heat, turning once. The leaves will char and wilt quickly — 60 seconds per side at most. Serve immediately.

Order Cut-Off Times & Delivery Date Selection

Orders placed before 2 PM (Monday to Friday) are dispatched the same day, unless you select a future delivery date at checkout.

Our Delivery Service

We use reliable third-party express courier services and high-quality insulated packaging. While our couriers are generally excellent, occasional delays can happen. We pack everything to stay fresh, even if transit takes a little longer.

Time-Sensitive & Event Orders

Can we guarantee delivery on a specific day? Unfortunately not - we rely on third-party couriers and can't control their schedules. All items leave us in perfect condition with good use-by dates, but final timing depends on the courier.

If your order is for a specific event, let us know in the notes section at checkout. We can often dispatch a day earlier to give you the best chance of timely arrival.

DELIVERY Changes After Dispatch

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Saturday Delivery

Saturday delivery is available, though please note our couriers don't operate phone support at weekends and our office is closed. For event-critical orders, a weekday delivery gives us more flexibility to help if any issues arise.

Full delivery details and shipping rates: here

Description

Castelfranco radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) from the Veneto — the variegated winter chicory known in Italy as la rosa di Castelfranco for the way its pale, speckled leaves open like a flower. Each head is cream to pale yellow with irregular burgundy and wine-red flecks scattered across the leaves, making it one of the most visually striking salad ingredients you can put on a plate. The variety originated in Castelfranco Veneto and is a cross between radicchio di Chioggia and a broad-leaf endive, combining the bitterness of one parent with the mildness of the other.

What makes Castelfranco different from the more familiar red radicchios is restraint. The bitterness is present but gentle — closer to a suggestion than a statement — and the leaves have a delicacy that Chioggia and Trevigiano cannot match. This is a salad leaf, not a cooking leaf. It is at its best raw, torn into wide pieces and dressed simply, where the colour and texture can do the work. The mild bitterness pairs well with sweet and rich counterpoints: walnuts, pear, Gorgonzola, honey, pancetta, aged balsamic. It can be lightly grilled, but heat diminishes both the colour and the subtlety that make it worth buying in the first place.