Parts Most Frequently Used: Root, Leaf, Flower

Flavors/Temps: Bitter, Aromatic, Slightly Sweet

Caution: Considered safe.

History/Folklore: Many varieties of chicory are cultivated for salad leaves, the roots (which are ground and used as a coffee substitute), and as forage for livestock. It has been cultivated as early as 5,000 years ago by Egyptians as a medicinal plant used to support liver function, stimulate an appetite and to sedate an anxious person.

Wild chicory leaves are bitter and popular in many regional cuisines, including Italian, Greek, Albanian and Turkish. In Albania, the greens are used as a substitute for spinach. Cooking helps to reduce the bitter quality of the greens. They can then be sautéed with garlic, anchovies, and other popular ingredients, depending on the chef and the region. The leaves can be eaten like celery and the roots and leaf buds can be boiled and eaten as well.

The Native American Cherokee tribes used an infusion of the root as a tonic for nerves and the Iroquois used a decoction of the root as a wash and poultice for fever sores.

The famous 17th century English herbalist, Nicholas Culpepper, described chicory as, “more dry and less cold than endive, so it opens up more. A draught made of a handful of the leaves or roots boiled in wine or water, drives our choleric and phleghmatic humours.”

Root chicory (Cichorium intybus) is cultivated in Europe as a coffee substitute. The roots are baked, roasted, ground and used as an additive or substitute to coffee. During the Great Depression and WWII, chicory was often used as a coffee substitute. In America, in New Orleans, chicory is a drink of choice, and not merely a substitute. Chicory root has none of the caffeine associated with regular coffee. Besides chicory, beets, acorns, parsnips and burnt sugar have all also been blended with coffee to make the coffee go further during times of hardship.

Some beer brewers use roasted chicory to add flavor to their stouts.

Chicory root extract is used as a dietary supplement and food additive. The constituent, inulin, found in chicory, is a popular prebiotic added to yogurts, a soluble dietary fiber and a functional food.

The flower has been popularly used in German folk medicine for treating many common ailments and as a tonic  for gallstones, stomach disorders and sinus problems. Records show it was used to treat constipation, weight loss, improve bowel movements and support general health.

Chicory is one of the 38 plants used to prepare Bach Flower Remedies.