Mots différents en France et en Belgique

What does “chicon” mean in Belgian French?

“Chicon” is the Belgian (and northern French) name for the pale, slightly bitter chicory shoot that France calls an “endive.” Same vegetable, different word — and it is one of those everyday terms that quietly mark you as Belgian. Belgian French is full of these splits: ask for a “serviette” (towel) in Brussels and you may get a napkin, because there a towel is an “essuie.”

Other Belgian-vs-France pairs from the same family: “souper” for the evening meal (France: dîner), “bourgmestre” for mayor (France: maire, borrowed from Dutch burgemeester), and “clinche” for a door handle (France: poignée). Many Belgicisms come straight from Flemish/Dutch neighbours. So “chicon” isn’t a mistake — it’s a regional standard, and knowing it helps you read menus and signs across Belgium without confusion.