The sight of the blue-purple sunray flower
of the dandelion-like stalk of the chicory plant is a
familiar greeting on summer morning walks. It grows rather
like a common weed on roadsides and limestone hills, and has
often been classified as such in the United States, although
it was probably brought here from Europe.
The colorful flowers function rather like
floral timepieces, spreading wide open in the morning and
gradually closing into the afternoon. The roots of chicory
are long and tap-like, and it is these that are dried,
roasted and ground into the chicory that is the familiar
blend that is commonly added to coffee. And in fact, in
historical times, chicory substituted as the "poor man's
coffee", when real coffee was either unavailable or
prohibitively expensive.
Today coffee makers recognize its merit in
coffee blends; take for example New Orleans styled coffee.
Moreover, as it is caffeine-free, that makes it a great way
to lower your daily caffeine consumption. Apart from this,
the big, fleshy roots of the chicory plant may also be
boiled and eaten, and its young, crisp leaves consumed as
salad.
Health Benefits of Chicory
In terms of health benefits, chicory has
been hailed as a blood purifier. The tea steeped from its
leaves is a healthful tonic. The ancient Greeks and Romans
esteemed its use as a liver stimulant, and it is also found
to be beneficial to the spleen and bladder. It can be
externally applied as a herbal paste or poultice to relieve
inflammation and swellings.
