Chicory – A Long-Standing Substitute or Addition to Coffee

Depending on whom you ask, chicory can be either a substitute for or a great addition to a cup of coffee.

The chicory plant flowers at about two to three feet tall and the roots of a chicory plant are dried and then roasted. The resulting material is then used as a flavorful addition to a cup of coffee or as a replacement for your cup of java. Although chicory was originally from the British Isles, chicory can now be found virtually all over the world.

The preparation of chicory is an interesting process. The aged, heavy roots of the plant are taken and washed thoroughly. After cleaning, they are cut into tiny slices and dried in a kiln. At this point, the substance is sold to someone who is a chicory roaster.

The chicory roaster takes the material and continues roasting the substance until it reaches a dark brown shade. When it is ground, it appears very similar to coffee. There are some noticeable differences however.

Chicory does not smell the same as coffee does, which can seem a disadvantage to some. After all, aroma means a lot to our senses. Also, chicory does not contain alkaloid caffeine, which is found in coffee either. It depends on whom you ask if these are good or bad virtues concerning chicory.

Regardless of these facts, chicory has been used for a very long time as both a substitute for as well as an addition to coffee.

Chicory provides coffee with a more intense flavor, and body while offering a bitterness that many enjoy. Many places enjoy using chicory in their coffee or drinking it independently. In Belgium particularly, chicory is often consumed in place of a cup of coffee.

History says that it was Napoleons chef who became aware that roasted chicory root could be used in place of coffee. These days, it is a favorable supplement for coffee or a major part of the blend of certain coffees sold.

There are two chemicals in chicory-- lactucin and lactucopicrin that are believed to thwart the effects of caffeine because they have the effect of a sedative on one’s central nervous system. Therefore, when combined your body may feel balanced out, as the caffeine will hype you up while the chicory calms you down. This may be a good blend for those who find themselves jittery from too much caffeine.

Chicory is a very strong perennial and is simple to grow right in your home garden. The reason it is so easy to grow is because it can thrive in virtually any type of condition as long as some seeds are planted in your garden around April or May.

You will want to find a chicory plant and locate the brown seedpod. If the pods are open, you know that the seeds are ripe. All that you need to do is to cut a branch of the pods and carefully pour the seeds onto a page of newspaper. The seeds then need to be stored in a container that is completely airtight. A sealed envelope can be a good substitute for an airtight container.

In the springtime, plant your seeds and bury them in about a half of an inch of dirt. When they have germinated, you will be apt to find that they need to be thinned out. Thin your chicory to allow them to be approximately 12 inches away from one another.

If you are going to find it necessary to transplant your chicory, you will want to do this early on. Chicory contains incredibly deep taproots that rebel against being disrupted once they have grown even a little.

In the fall, you simply gather your chicory roots and grind them. They can then be used as a delicious coffee substitute or as a flavorful addition to your current blend of brew.