Endive

Endive is an important leafy vegetable, as a component of salads as well as a cooked vegetable. Endive stands out for its robust leaves, unique taste and it offers potentially beneficial health properties in abundance. Rijk Zwaan develops varieties suitable for all the main segments of the market focussing on improving the agronomical and consumer-related aspects of the crop.

Endive with smooth leaves (Carol) is a vegetable that is very suitable when served with noodle soups, therefore it is very popular with consumers in Asia countries. In addition, with high nutritional content, endive with a bitter taste is also an indispensable ingredient to balance the taste in salads.

Different cultures have different preferences towards colour ranging from blonde to dark green and the leaf shape is also an important aspect where processing is concerned. In some regions, the heart is considered as the premium part of the product due to its bright colour and soft texture qualities, which can make it a succulent, high-quality addition to any meal.

Rijk Zwaan offers high-quality seeds and a wide range of endive from smooth-leaved endive and frisée endive. Many varieties fully meet the requirements of the Asia market with outstanding yield and a straight plant that is easy to harvest and pack. Besides, two types of high-class Frisse varieties are very suitable for the hydroponics method and they are being chosen by large and reputable growing units to grow and distribute end products to supermarket chains.