A leafy vegetable with a slightly bitter taste, used in salads and cooking. There are several varieties, including curly endive (frisée) and Belgian endive (witloof).
From Arabic hindibāʾ, the name for this bitter salad green valued for its digestive properties. The word entered English via Old French endive and Latin endivia in the 14th century. Arabic physicians recommended endive for liver health, establishing its reputation as a medicinal food.
Arabic doctors prescribed endive as a cure for melancholy because its bitter compounds actually do stimulate digestion and improve mood! The Arabic name hindibāʾ is related to the word for 'Indian,' suggesting this green came to the Middle East via Indian trade routes.
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