Chicory is widely grown in Europe and North America. It is a bushy perennial herb having lavender blue and sometimes white flowers. Chicory is also known as blue sailors, coffee weed or cornflower where it is grown for its leaves or roots. Salad versions of chicory have broad and curly leaves and are also known as escarole. The narrow leaved version is called curly endive. The outer leaves of endive are bitter to taste while its inner leaves are lighter in color with a mild taste.
Organic varieties of chicory are free from agricultural chemicals.
What to look for?
Storage and preparation tips:
Cooking and use of chicory:
Chicory is widely used as coffee filler after grounding, roasting and powdering it. Unlike coffee, chicory has no caffeine but has a chocolate-like flavor. Endives are also added to salads to add flavor and to blander lettuces.
Witloof chicory is also called Belgian or French endive and is “forced” to produce blanched and tight heads. This type of chicory is blanched so it can be used as a salad vegetable. Fresh greens can be used in salads while mature greens are better when cooked.
Chicory Nutrition Facts:
Chicory has many nutritional benefits such as helping with digestion. This is because of the presence of the soluble fiber inulin which helps the probiotic bacteria found in the digestive tract.
