*This seed is offered as part of the "Gusto Italiano Project", a collaborative partnership between Uprising Seeds, Italian breeders Smarties.Bio, and the Culinary Breeding Network. Certified organic seed is grown in Italy by Smarties.Bio.
Variety: 'Pacifico' Type: Rosso di Treviso Precoce Days to Maturity (slot): 110 days (mid-late)
'Pacifico' is an excellent, production worthy mid-to-late cycle Treviso-type with a big frame and uniform habit. It compares favorably to the popular and better known 'Baldo' at the same days-to-maturity slot.
The city of Treviso is one of the epicenters of radicchio production, and Rosso di Treviso Precoce is one of the best known types in Italy, second only to Rosso di Chioggia in terms of amount produced. "Precoce" means "early" in Italian and is used here to differentiate it from the late fall/winter forced-type, Treviso Tardivo. It is relatively unfussy to grow producing dense vertically elongated heads with wine-red leaves and wide contrasting white mid-ribs for fall harvests. It has the mildest bitterness of any of the red heading radicchio types, and though it is very much at home in a raw salad preparation, it is widely considered a type for sauteing, grilling, and roasting in Italy. Much of the plants sweetness that compliments the bitterness is found in the midrib. As with all radicchio, be especially mindful of your planting dates as a successful crop requires a MUCH narrower planting window than most garden vegetables.
