With sky-blue ray flowers, the chicory spreads its rural charm in the garden during the summer flowering period. As the primordial mother of chicory, endive and radicchio, all parts of the traditional cottage garden plant are edible. We have put together tips for culinary use for you here.

The chicory is not only a visual enrichment for the menu

The leaves spice up the menu

If you are still missing a fresh ingredient for the crispy salad in spring, the chicory with its delicate leaves is there. If the leaves get a little stronger during the flowering period, you can use them to prepare an extremely healthy vegetable that will make you forget about the conventional spinach. If you soak the leaves in water for 2 hours beforehand, the bitter substances are broken down and the taste is particularly mild.

Flowers are much more than a feast for the eyes

The flowers of a chicory are truly early risers. From 5 o'clock in the morning the cup flowers open to longingly face the rising sun in the East. The light blue flowers remain open until shortly before noon. In order to use the edible flowers, they are thus harvested in the early hours of the morning. How to use the floral decoration in the kitchen:

  • As an edible decoration for cold and warm dishes
  • Candied as a sweet treat for in between
  • Dipped in liquid chocolate as a seductive flower praline

Don't throw away the flower stalks. Blanched briefly in water and then baked in batter, the stems are transformed into a natural delicacy.

Roots serve as an aromatic coffee substitute

As early as the 18th century, resourceful farmers discovered out of necessity that an aromatic hot drink could be made from the roots of a chicory as a substitute for the very expensive and rare Arabic coffee. To this day, this coffee substitute is known under the names Muckefuck or Country Coffee.

The roots are peeled and crushed. Roasted in a pan with sugar and without fat, the pieces are finally ground. The resulting powder is brewed like coffee with boiling water.

tips

The chicory is not only useful as an ornamental and vegetable plant. Thanks to its valuable ingredients, the floral all-rounder alleviates various health problems in a natural way. Prepared as a tea, chicory stimulates the metabolism, cleanses the blood, relieves headaches and stomach discomfort and lifts the spirits.

Category:

Herbs