Allergy to red chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sylvestre)

Cichorium intybus var. sylvestre (Compositae family), a vegetable domestically known as red chicory (radicchio rosso), is a traditional Italian food. A few cases of IgE-mediated allergy following chicory (Cichorium intybus) ingestion have been described. We report the first case of a type-1 allergy following ingestion of Chioggia red chicory. A 26-year-old woman developed urticaria and facial angioedema after ingestion of red chicory. A prick-by-prick with fresh red chicory showed an intense reaction; on the contrary, prick-by-prick with fresh lettuce and fresh chicory was negative.