Brussels Grondwitloof
Common chicory is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and food additive. In the 21st century, inulin, an extract from chicory root, has been used in food manufacturing as a sweetener and source of dietary fiber. Chicory is also grown as a forage crop for livestock.
Source: Wikipedia
Recipes
Brussels Grondwitloof | Local Chicory From Flemish Brabant Province, Belgium | TasteAtlas
What is Brussels grondwitloof? Ever since the 1850s, when blanching and forced growth techniques were first introduced at the Botanical Garden of Brussels in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels chicory has been traditionally cultivated in the wider Brussels-Mechelen-Leuven...