Plant: Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
Finding Chicory: This plant is actually related to dandelions and it is perennial, which means it doesn’t die off every year. Translation: it stays alive through the winter, so you can look for this plant when many summer foraging favorites have disappeared! The leaves, flowers, and roots of chicory are all edible, and the bluish purple flower is easy to identify when it is in bloom. The best way to forage for chicory in the winter is actually to find the plant earlier in the year by identifying its flowers, and then mark the spot (either physically, or by writing down the location.) Digging up the root can be done through the fall and winter if the ground isn’t too packed. If you have a small spade, it can be useful to bring along, but your hands will do in a pinch.
How to Use Chicory: You can clean and roast the root like other starchy vegetables (think potatoes). But chicory is most famous because it has been used for centuries as a coffee substitute! While it doesn’t have caffeine, chicory-coffee tastes similar to the real thing. You can also use the root to make other cozy winter beverages like chicory chai tea!Chicory is also full of inulin, which is a starch that provides fiber and prebiotics (food for healthy bacteria in your digestive track.) You can add the ground up root to granola bars, cereal, yogurts, even ice cream for an extra healthy boost without a big difference in taste or texture.
Cultural Significance: Chicory is native to Europe, but it has adapted to the ecosystems of America, China, and Australia. Many cultures have traditionally used Chicory as a source of medicine and food. The practice of grinding and roasting chicory root as a food additive began in the Mediterranean region, but the plant is also an element of Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian cuisines. In the united states, the use of chicory as a coffee substitute is though to have originated in New Orleans, as the French traditionally sold a mixture of ground coffee and chicory root as “Ricore.” Chicory-root coffee spread across the United States during the Great Depression and was also common during the “East German Coffee Crisis” of 1976-79. Finally, some Dutch beer brewers add Chicory to ales and beers to get a rich coffee-like flavor.
My Foraging Stories: As a kid I loved Chicory for its wonderful periwinkle flowers. I used them to make crowns and decorate various nature-related projects with the blooms, but I didn’t know they were edible (along with most of the rest of the plant). As someone who doesn’t enjoy coffee in general, I’ve never had the urge to use Chicory as a coffee substitute. However, I’ve made a drink similar to chai tea incorporating both chicory and dandelion root, along with other spices. It was delicious and pleasantly earthy, and the spices made it especially enjoyable on a cold day. Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it for yourself!
