Adding bitter flavours to your diet can be a gradual process. As you regularly consume bitter flavours, your taste buds become more accustomed to bitter flavours. Plus, there are some techniques to consider when cooking with bitters:

• Dilution: Don’t start out by biting into a plate of raw radicchio. Use a little it of bitter in a dish. Try adding a little bit radicchio to your salads for flavour and colour, mixing with other greens such as lettuce, arugula, kale and spinach. Also, try milder bitter greens such as frisée endive.
• Caramelization: Roasting bitter vegetables helps bring out natural sweetness and balances the bitterness. Some radicchios, like Sugarloaf and Chioggia varieties are easy to cut into slices or wedges for grilling.
• Salt: Adding salt helps to reduce the taste perception of bitterness. Consider ingredients such as feta cheese or prosciutto ham that add flavour and saltiness to a dish.
• Sweetness: Adding sweetness balances bitter flavours. Using seasonal fruits in salads is a perfect way to add sweetness. Likewise, using honey in a salad dressing can add a sweet touch.

Overall, try contrasting bitter flavours with other strong flavours — the bitterness of radicchio in a salad with sweet pears, salty cheese or prosciutto and sour balsamic vinaigrette.

One other tip: most chicories are mildest when grown in colder weather. Seeking out radicchio in late-fall and early-winter will yield the most balanced flavour and spectacular colours.