We’re willing to bet a lot of you don’t even know what an endive is, let alone a Belgian one. But did you know they’re surprisingly fun to eat (obviously really, really ridiculously good for you) and go by several other names as well?

• Frisee
• Chicory
• Escarole
• Radicchio

And wouldn’t you know it? They’re all endives. But the Belgian one is a bit of a hidden gem in the culinary halls of delight. It’s the endive making the traditional lettuce leaves look plain and simple, and for good reason. They’re crunchy. They keep their form well, which makes them surprisingly versatile when it comes to cooking and eating.

So Here’s Three Ways to Eat The Endive!

Read about them — and then try it out yourself. You’ll be surprised:

1. Braising — Not a lot of veggies can be braised, but the endive can! Here’s how.
2. Saute  — Sure, a lot of different veggies can be sauteed on a pan: mushrooms, asparagus, onions. But a leafy green vegetable? That would spell disaster. Not so for the endive.
3. They’re Like SCOOPS — Yes, like those Frito chips. Check out why you can eat the ‘dive like this by clicking here.

The bonus is the versatile veggie has both sweet and hearty bitter properties to it, which change depending on the way you cook it (and, of course, the way you eat it). So experiment. You might find a more interesting way of working with the endive, possibly!

Which We Fully Support Here at Golden Gate Organics: It’s All About Invention and Discovery

And nothing else says discovery like the endive. Plenty of other organic foods and other foods out there offer great potential. We’re even wondering if it’s possible to pickle an endive. After all, it’s like braising! Might actually go well if you think about it. Who knows — maybe we’ll try it out ourselves and let you know (unless you beat us to it!).