How Healthy Is Chicory?

Chicory is a typical winter vegetable. The daisy family’s pale yellow bud has a slightly bitter taste and provides numerous vitamins and healthy nutrients. Chicory is a good source of folic acid, beta-carotene, and fiber, among other things. The bitter substances contained in the buds can also stimulate digestion.

With 13 kcal per 100 grams, chicory is considered low in calories. In addition, 100 grams of the vegetable contain 3.4 mg of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, as well as 50 micrograms of folic acid and 192 mg of the mineral potassium. The bitter substance lactucopicrin (formerly: intybin), which contributes to the typical taste of chicory, supports digestion by stimulating the gallbladder and pancreas. In addition, the bitter substances are said to have a pain-relieving and blood-sugar-lowering effect. The chicory leaves also have a diuretic effect and help to regulate the acid-base balance in the body.

The bitter taste of chicory can be softened by preparing a salad with honey in the dressing. Fruit juice and tangerines go well with this for a fruity-sour note. Soaking the leaves in milk or salt water also helps against the bitter taste. With this form of preparation, however, the healthy effect of the bitter substances is lost. Modern breeds also contain significantly less bitter substances. In order to preserve its healthy ingredients, chicory should be eaten fresh. Wrapped in damp paper or cloth, chicory will keep in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for up to a week.

Chicory comes from the wild chicory. It is a biennial plant that grows in the field for the first year. In autumn, before the first frosts, the fleshy, thickened root is dug up, cleaned down to the heart leaves, and wrapped in a cool place. Depending on requirements, the chicory forcing begins, usually in a completely darkened room, so that the chicory roots develop the delicate white-yellow, tightly closed shoots. The darkness prevents the shoots from turning green. Once the sprouts are large enough, they can be cut off cleanly at harvest. France is Europe’s largest producer of chicory, although there are also significant productions in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. A special variant is red chicory, which is characterized by its coloring. Please note that chicory is best stored in the refrigerator and used as soon as possible.