Often Wild Foraged, The Weed Known As Chicory Root: A Wonderful Prebiotic and Best Coffee Replacer!

There are several varieties of Chicory plants out there and they are cultivated mainly for their edible and highly nutritious leaves. 

Chicories have been a part of the human diet for a really long time now, and the perfect illustration of this fact is the traditional Roman meal, Puntarelle which is made out of chicory sprouts. 

This wild plant grows in many countries around the world and it goes by different names-Blue daisy, Blue Sailors, Bunk, Blue Dandelion, Coffee Weed, Horse Weed, Ragged Sailors, and Wild Endive.

Identification

A fully developed chicory plant can grow up to 90 to 180 cm long. Its leaves are similar in appearance to that of Dandelions, but only at the base.  They are smaller as they grow up at the stem, and are casually spaced. They also have pointed tips. 

Chicory flowers are blue or lavender in color but on rare occasions, they can also be white or pink. The flowers grow on two rows of bracts. The stalk is about 30-100cm long and the crowns are 2-4cm wide. The flowering season of Chicory plant is from July to October. Chicory plant grows on roadsides, weedy fields, and on the grassy areas near parking lots. 

Use

Check out my video on using Chicory in your baked bread.

The edible parts of Chicory plant are its leaves and roots. The flowers are also palatable but they are very bitter. The leaves can be used in raw salads but Chicory leaves have a rather pungent flavor so they are usually blanched before use. They are the perfect alternative to spinach. 

The roots can be consumed raw, baked or roasted and are often used as a coffee substittute and/or additive.

Chicory plants are also used for medicinal purposes. Studies have shown that they, especially its flowers are highly effective when used to treat gastroenteritis, gallstones and sinus problems. The quanity of tannins it contains can reduce intestinal parasites. They also are used to remedy cuts and bruises. 

Chicory root is extremely high in inulin, an important prebiotic fiber that is also found in banans, jicama and Jerusalem artichoke. By definition, inulin, being a prebiotic fiber, is a complex, plant based carbohydrate that we as humans cannot specifically digest.  

Approximately 47% of chicory root fiber comes from prebiotic fiber inulin. The inulin in chicory root nourishes the gut bacteria, improves digestion and helps relieve constipation. It can also help increase bile production, which improves fat digestion. Additionaly, chicory root is high in atioxidant compounds that protect the liver from oxidative damage.

Chicory plants are also amongst the 38 plants that are used in alternative medicine for the preparation of Bach flower remedies. According to Cancer Research UK. 

Preperation

Chicory leaves can either be consumed blanched or raw. They are at their finest when fresh and young or when they grow under shades, away from direct sunlight.  If possible, avoiding the ones with green tips is highly suggested as they can be quite bitter. In most traditional cuisines, namely Italym Greece, Turkey, and Albania, the pugnent flavor of the leaves are valued.

The bitter taste of Chicory leaves can be reduced by blanching them. They can be sauteed with anchovies, garlic, olive oil, along with other ingredients that are of your choosing and served with pasta or different kinds of meat dishes. 

Chicory roots can also be consumed raw when they are young and fresh. But they are mostly baked/roasted, dried, ground and made into the perfect substitute of coffee. The use of Chicory roots as alternatives for Coffee actually began in 1766 when Frederick The Great prohibited coffee impotation onto Prussia, and Christian Gottlieb Forster invented an alternate for coffee using Chicory Roots. 

Nutritional Value

Chicory Plant is incredibly high in nutrition. The plant contains protiens, vitamins, ash, sucrose, cellulose, phosphorous, sodium, sodium, iron and soluable fiber. The plant also contains inulin which according to recent studies, helps improve constipation, bowel function and ultimately help in weight loss. 

Every element of the Chicory plant, especially its roots, contains a considerable abount of volatile oils similar to that of the ones found in plants from the genus, Tanacetum. These volatile oils have toxic components that can eliminate intestinal worms.

Location

Chicory plants grow in many countries around the world. Howeverm in accordance to the reports released b y the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Chicory plants are native to Europem Western Asia and North Africa.

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