Frisée

A leafy vegetable with curly leaves that have spiked edges, which form a loose-headed green. Frisée is basically the smaller version of curly endive and may be commonly referred to as baby curly endive. The ripple-edged leaves are green on the outer sections and cream colored closer to the stem and stalk, forming a very compact heart. The lacy outer leaves provide a prickly texture and a bitter taste, while the inner leaves are milder, so always select a head with a greater abundance of inner leaves. Frisée is a member of the chicory family and is commonly served as a salad green. A close relative to frisée is the curly endive, which is often referred to as chicory and may confuse many when labeled as loose-leaf endive or some of its other names such as loose-leaf chicory, chicory, chicory endive, curly chicory, frisée, or frise. The confusion occurs due to the fact that the term "chicory" in America or France refers to what Britain calls endive and endive in Britain becomes chicory in France and America. When cooked, the greens are often served as a vegetable steamed or braised, and can be added to soups for flavoring in the later stages of soup making.