(Cichorium intybus)
A symbol of frugality,
chicory is part of a small genus of about six species native to Eurasia, but
transplanted and growing throughout North America. It is often cultivated, especially in Europe
for its edible leaves and its roots, and the dozens of cultivars scarcely
resemble the scrawny roadside weed. Its
Latin name, Cichorium, has been
traced back to the ancient Egyptians who were really fond of chicory.
Identified as one of the bitter herbs in the Bible associated with Passover,
chicory’s appreciation as a culinary herb dates back to at least Roman time,
but even today it is eaten as a spring tonic in many cultures. Used throughout history, Napoleon’s armies
chewed raw ground chicory like chewing tobacco, Charlemagne demanded that
chicory be one of the 75 herbs planted in his garden and Elizabeth I drank a
broth made from chicory. It came to the
United States with the colonists as a medicinal herb, but Thomas Jefferson and
others grew it as a forage crop as it is a favored food of livestock as well as
wild game including deer, turkey and quail.
In recent years, chicory has received widespread attention in a number
of countries due to its high yield, high mineral content and drought
resistance.
A relative of the
dandelion, they both have a deep tap root and a rosette of toothed basal
leaves, however, chicory puts up a stiff hairy flower stalk clothed sparsely
with small leaves and a height of 2-5 feet.
A very ornamental plant, it is in flower from July through October. The flowers are an exquisite sky to cerulean
blue 1 ½ inches wide. Oddly enough, the
blue color of the flowers is changed to a brilliant red by the acids of ants,
so place a flower on an ant hill and watch the magic! Although a perennial, chicory is usually
cultivated as an annual, especially when being grown for winter salads and will
tolerate very acid and very alkaline soils but must have full sun. Easily started from seed, they may be sown in
April for a summer crop of edible leaves or in June/July for a winter crop and
if grown for their roots, sow in May or June.
The leaves can be harvested when they are large enough, the flower heads
in July, but the roots are best harvested during rainy weather in late autumn
before frost. Bunch chicory roots to dry
or to blanch the roots, store in sand in a dark room to produce tops that are
more tender and less bitter.
A multi-purpose plant,
chicory gives off the fragrance of fresh field greens in the garden and in the
kitchen all parts of the plant may be used from a natural sweetener to a spring
salad and even a caffeine free coffee substitute. Both the stalks and the leaves have an
asparagus-like flavor when young and may be eaten raw or braised. Chicory leaves may also be boiled for a blue
dye. The flowers are an attractive
addition to the salad bowl, dried for potpourri and the buds are often
pickled. The young roots can be boiled
and eaten with butter like parsnip, roasted for a slightly bitter caramel
flavor or used as a seasoning in soups, sauces and gravies. The roots are most often roasted and used as
a coffee additive or substitute especially C.
intybus “Magdeburg” which is grown for its large roots. A good source of folic acid, potassium and
vitamin A, chicory has tonic properties and is beneficial in the diet of
diabetics due to its high insulin content.
GARDEN
TIPS
Chicory flowers open in the morning light
with regularity and close five hours later,
making them well-suited to display
in "floral garden clocks"
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