EU: Official start to Chicory season

Monday 30 September at Auction BelOrta the first Belgian chicory of the new season was sold. Grower Daniel Schoevaerts presented the first case (5kg) and received the top price of €99,99/kg. Supermarket Delhaize bought the first prime chicory. Auction BelOrta also increased the amount to €1.000,00 and donated the money to 'Our shelter, Brabant', a sheltered home for adults with a mental handicap in the area of Kampenhout. Kampenhout has one of the most pioneering councils in Vlaanderen where chicory is grown as a delicacy. Auction BelOrta, and representatives of Kampenhout's chicory museum attended the event.

From left to right: Herman Michiels and Herman Segers from 'Our shelter, Brabant', Sven Van De Voorde from Delhaize, chicory grower Daniël Schoevaerts and Jo Lambrecht, commercial manager of BelOrta.

Sven Van De Voorde, Category Manager Fruit & Vegetables from Delhaize : "Chicory is a typically Belgian premium product. By purchasing this product, Delhaize is supporting the local traditional grower. Customers can enjoy this typically Belgian product with us."

Sven Van De Voorde, Category Manager from Delhaize, bought the 1st case of chicory from the new season.

Details of the producer
Daniël Schoevaerts – Leuvensesteenweg 202 – 1910 Kampenhout-Buken
Details of the buyer
Delhaize – www.delhaize.be

The original crop, the chicory root, originates from the Mediterranean. The white delicacy, according to this version of the story, comes from a farmer who in 1830 was scared of the fighting in the streets of Brussels and hid in a dark cellar in Schaarbeek, where he found a lot of chicory roots. To be sure that nobody found these he placed some soil over them. A few weeks later to his surprise he found that the roots were soft and white heads had grown from them. The official discovery of chicory, however, was given to Bresiers, head gardener of the herb garden in Brussel, where he discovered chicory during the winter of 1834-35. With further cultivation the familiar root was developed. From 1867 chicory began to appear on the markets. Until the end of the century limited cultivation of chicory continued in the councils of Schaarbeek, Evere, Haren en Diegem. From which cultivation spread further into Flemish-Brabant and later to all Vlaanderen.