On a trip to northern Italy in 1977, Craig Claiborne, the Times’ food editor, “discovered” radicchio and was delighted by what he described as the “crisp, bittersweet leaves.”

About three years later it began showing up in New York restaurants and markets. It was the round, softball-size radicchio, now commonplace, that looks something like a small red cabbage.

Everyday round radicchio, a variety called radicchio di Chioggia, is available all year, though most radicchios are seasonal, with the best flavor and crispest texture coming in colder weather. They’re at their peak now, in late winter and early spring.

In some parts of the country cooks can also find quite a number of specialty radicchios, or chicories (radicchio is the Italian word for chicory) available at the market. Small, red-tipped endives; larger, narrow clusters of white or greenish stems with deep burgundy leaves; yellow-green cabbage rose heads speckled with red; pink rosettes; and flowerlike deep maroon bunches populate the category.

“A few of them are now cultivated in California, which makes them cheaper and fresher,” said T.J. Murphy, chief executive of Baldor, a major produce importer and distributor. His company still flies most of them in from the Veneto region of northern Italy, where they have long been cultivated and also grow wild. “As the demand here grows, we’re looking to bring in other varieties,” he said.

Radicchio’s sturdy, refreshing crunchiness makes it excellent for salads that need not be served immediately. Many varieties can also be roasted, sauteed and grilled.

Their most common characteristic, as Claiborne noted, is that edgy, bitter bite.

Taming the bitterness might lead a cook to seek a sweet counterpoint to dress the salad. Balsamic vinegar, which came on the American culinary scene in the early 1980s, coincidentally with radicchio, is a familiar choice. But it’s a flawed one, in my view. The best antidote for a bitter taste is salt. Think of how often a mushroom dish or foie gras, both naturally bitter, begs for a few grains of sea salt to mellow the flavor.

My favorite vinaigrette for a radicchio salad — made either with a single variety or a mixture — has anchovies and capers in it. I also reach for avocado for that soothing touch of gentle sweetness, or some tender baby spinach leaves for contrast.

Italian restaurants often include arugula for a flash of green, presenting a salad of red, green and white to suggest the Italian flag. Other ways to balance the bitterness include orange segments, slivered fennel bulb or crumbled blue cheese.

Radicchio Salad With Anchovy Vinaigrette

• 2 anchovies in oil, drained
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
• 6 tablespoons fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon capers in brine or vinegar, drained (do not use salt-packed)
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 ripe but firm chilled avocado, peeled and diced (optional)
• 12 to 14 ounces radicchio (5 red-leaf endives or 1 large round radicchio di Chioggia, or a mixture), cored and cut in 1/2-inch-wide slivers

Mash anchovies in a small bowl. Mix in vinegar until well blended. Whisk in oil, fold in capers and season with pepper.

Place onions in a salad bowl. Add dressing and mix. Fold in avocado, if using. Add radicchio. Gently toss. Divide among individual plates or serve at the table. Serves 4.

Nutritional information unavailable.