Dishes with chicory - 5 cooking recipes

Delicate light blue flowers on long stems with a minimum number of leaves are chicory. Medicinal chicory belongs to the herbs of the Asteraceae family.

Dishes with chicory

In its wild form, chicory grows in places with a warm and mild climate, where there is a lot of moisture. Only two types of chicory are grown - common chicory and salad chicory. Salad chicory is eaten in the form of leaves and roots. You can prepare salads from chicory leaves, as well as good side dishes for meat and fish dishes. Dried chicory root contains about 75 percent inulin. This is what makes chicory such a valuable product for coffee lovers and admirers. Chicory, or more precisely chicory root, is used as a coffee substitute. In addition, if chicory root is pre-dried and then roasted, it can be added to coffee as a flavor enhancer. Chicory leaves (salad endive) are very actively used in Mediterranean cuisine, where they are added to various salads. Chicory leaves contain large amounts of vitamins A and K. Chicory root is used as a coffee substitute. It contains a lot of inulin. In addition, common chicory root contains fructose, thiamine, vitamin C, riboflavin and carotene. Chicory is also used in medicine. In particular, its milky juice contains a certain substance that improves appetite. Drinks made from chicory have an excellent astringent and antibacterial effect. Chicory improves digestion and has a beneficial effect on the entire digestive system as a whole. Chicory tincture also has a calming effect, is good for the heart and removes excess bile from the body. There is information that chicory is somewhat toxic.