In autumn and winter we are led (mistakenly) to drink less: this vegetable is excellent for hydration. And for those with a slightly sluggish intestine it is a panacea. It is called Belgian endive, but we could now give it honorary Italian citizenship given that it is one of the must-have salads in the fresh produce counter of the supermarket and is present 365 days out of 365, being a leafy vegetable that is in season all year round. The name is not nonsense: it was cultivated and marketed for the first time in Belgium, in the 19th century, starting from Magdeburg chicory. For this reason it is also called Belgian lettuce, Belgian radicchio or Brussels chicory, being Brussels in Belgium, as well as witloof chicory: witloof in Flemish means white leaf and this specification refers to the extremely light color of its leaves, a light yellow so delicate that it flows into white, due to a process called forcing. What is this forcing? Let’s go step by step. Belgian endive is sown from March to July. Once the roots and heads have developed, in autumn, the small endives are dug up and piled up in the air, where they must remain for 4 or 5 days. Then, the roots are shortened and the leaves are cut, which at this moment of the normal development of the plant are beautiful green. The “reduced” tufts are then placed in boxes full of river sand, silted in just enough to cover up to the collar. The boxes are kept in the dark and in dry sand awaiting forcing at a low temperature, around 2-5 °C, to prevent the tufts from sprouting. The forcing of Belgian endive is carried out gradually based on consumption, between October and March. It is done in special rooms but also in a greenhouse, at a suitable temperature, around 15-20 °C, always keeping it dark and using hydrated soil with sand. This determines the reactivation of the roots and the emission of new leaves which, however, be careful, due to the absence of light, will be white and not green. After about 20-40 days the forcing is complete and the characteristic spindle-shaped head of light yellowish almost white colour, 10 to 20 cm in length, is ready. Out of curiosity, let’s remember that there is also a variety of red Belgian endive. a chicory The Belgian endive belongs to the Asteraceae family, subfamily Cichorioideaee, tribe Cichorieae, genus Cichorium, species intybus (others classify it as an endive species). The endive, in fact, has three subspecies which are the escarole endive (Cichorium endivia latifolium), the curly endive (Cichorium endivia crispum) and, indeed, the Belgian or witloof endive (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum.). So we call it a salad and treat it as such, eating it not just raw, no, but raw. But it would be a chicory, which is usually eaten cooked. Our beautiful bushes carry with them, in our mouths, that typical bitter taste of chicory, attenuated however by the fact that they belong to the chicory family, but are not, in the strict sense, the chicory that is eaten dragged in Rome. The Belgian endive does not stand out as a “garnish” only for its ease of use. It is also appreciated because it is a very light side dish. In 100 grams of Belgian endive, in fact, we find only 15 calories, 16% from proteins, 15% from lipids and 69% from carbohydrates. In carbophobic and lipophobic times like the current ones, these percentages can be scary, but it’s 2 calories from lipids and 10 from carbohydrates… It can be done, even for the most workaholic dieter! If we look closely, ours is an ideal side dish for everyone, but also for those on a diet and for those who, whether on a diet or not, have a slightly sluggish intestine. We’ll get there shortly. Meanwhile, we note that the first very interesting contribution of Belgian endive is that of water, 94.3 g of water per 100 g. It is therefore a rehydrating vegetable: in autumn and winter we are inclined to drink less because, compared to summer, we sweat much less, but let’s remember that we must always hydrate and therefore consuming very watery vegetables in the cold months is certainly positive (we hydrate not only by drinking liquids, but also through food water). After water, the other macronutrients are, this time in absolute terms and not percentages, 0.7 g of proteins, 0.3 g of lipids, with 0 mg of cholesterol, 3 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of soluble sugars and 1.1 g of fiber. It is precisely these fibers which, together with water, constitute the great value of Belgian endive, as we were also saying for those with a sluggish intestine. Necessary premise. Fibers are part of the cell wall of plants. They are not broken down by the enzymes of the first intestinal tract, but fermented in the last tract. They can be soluble and insoluble. Solubles are soluble in water and reduce the absorption of sugars and fats, they are therefore useful for stabilizing glucose and cholesterol in the blood and, moreover, they aid digestion and have a prebiotic effect, i.e. they nourish intestinal bacteria, thus promoting the growth of a virtuous bacterial flora and reducing inflammation. They are found in legumes, in cereals such as oats and barley, and in fruit. Insoluble fibers are found in dried fruit, nuts, cereal flours (if they are wholemeal, they contain more fibre), in some fruits such as berries and in some vegetables such as our Belgian endive. Insoluble fibers are called this because they are not water soluble, they do not dissolve in water (and they are also less fermentable than soluble fibres). Their main function is to make our intestines function well, as they slow down gastric emptying and then help the transit of food in the intestine. Therefore they prevent and treat constipation and also help avoid problems such as hemorrhoids or diverticulitis. Fibers are an essential component of a correct diet, unless there are health problems that make them unpleasant for the afflicted body. In all other cases, according to Sinu, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, an adult must consume at least 25 g of fiber (soluble and insoluble) per day (and 1.5 – 2 liters of water). The fibers of Belgian endive are insoluble fibres, specific benefactors of the normal intestine, but also of that which functions poorly and that damaged by the abuse of laxatives. When consuming fibre, you must always drink: fiber must always be accompanied by water to be an effective driver of intestinal traffic, consuming a lot of fiber while drinking little causes the opposite effect, i.e. an excessive and harmful slowdown of digestion and intestinal transit. Endive already contains fiber and water and this makes it a kind of natural supplement for intestinal well-being, a sort of “smart salad” that quenches thirst, yes, but also helps you go to the bathroom without taking laxatives and the like if you have problems in that sense. vitamins and minerals Belgian endive also has interesting vitamins, but few or rather fewer than its unbleached cousins, precisely because of the lower exposure to sunlight (forcing to whiten vegetables is also called blanching, blanching, blanching, do not confuse it with blanching which is instead the culinary technique of simmering vegetables and then stopping them from cooking in water and ice to keep them cooked but not soft or discoloured). We have 0.04 mg of vitamin B1 or thiamine, 0.03 mg of vitamin B2 or riboflavin, 0.3 mg of vitamin B3 or niacin (or vitamin PP), 10 µg of vitamin A retinol eq., 3 mg of vitamin C. Group B vitamins are essential for energy metabolism (they help convert food into energy), for the health of the nervous system (they support cognitive functions, the production of red blood cells and myelin) and for the well-being of skin, hair and nails. They also contribute to a good functioning of the immune system and can help reduce tiredness. Vitamin A, in particular, helps vision, the immune system, the health of the skin and mucous membranes, cell renewal, protection from oxidative damage and the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin C supports the immune system, speeding up recovery from colds, cognitive functions and recovery from tiredness. Then, it has an antioxidant action, serves for the synthesis of collagen and the beauty of the skin. Let’s also look at the mineral intake: we have 0.3 mg of iron (already not much, furthermore it is non-heme vegetable iron, therefore less absorbable than the heme iron found in foods of animal origin). Then we have, in greater quantities than the previous one, 18 mg of calcium and 26 mg of phosphorus. These two minerals are beneficial for the health of bones and teeth, together they form hydroxyapatite and make them hard and compact. Calcium is used for muscle contraction, the transmission of nerve impulses and blood coagulation, while phosphorus is used for energy metabolism. With Belgian endive you can also prepare a tonic, purifying, slightly diuretic, laxative and sedative infusion (calcium also facilitates body relaxation). If consumed raw, due to the characteristic of a slightly greater crunchiness than other salads, Belgian endive also has an auditory and physical-mechanical anti-stress effect. In fact, crunchy food is considered a source of sensorial pleasure. The sound (“crunch!”) and consistency of biting and chewing crunchy foods reduces stress and anxiety and releases serotonin, furthermore the need to chew longer and with more energy stimulates the receptors in the mouth earlier – compared to chewing soft foods – to send the sensation of satiety to the brain, thus leading to eating less. There are no contraindications to consuming Belgian endive, unless you are allergic to it. Indeed, Belgian endive is suitable for those who are allergic to nickel.
