View source for Chicory

{{Short description|Flowering plant in the daisy family}}
{{Not to be confused with|Cichorium endivia}}
{{For|the 2021 video game|Chicory: A Colorful Tale}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Common chicory
| image = Wegwarte Cichorium intybus.jpg
| image_caption = Blue-flowered form
| image_alt = 
| genus = Cichorium
| species = intybus
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true
|title=<small>Synonymy</small>
|''Cichorium balearicum'' <small>Porta</small>
|''Cichorium byzantinum'' <small>Clementi</small>
|''Cichorium caeruleum'' <small>Gilib.</small>
|''Cichorium cicorea'' <small>Dumort.</small>
|''Cichorium commune'' <small>Pall.</small>
|''Cichorium cosnia'' <small>Buch.-Ham.</small>
|''Cichorium divaricatum'' <small>Heldr. ex Nyman</small>
|''Cichorium glabratum'' <small>C.Presl</small>
|''Cichorium glaucum'' <small>Hoffmanns. & Link</small>
|''Cichorium hirsutum'' <small>Gren.</small>
|''Cichorium illyricum'' <small>borb.</small>
|''Cichorium officinale'' <small>Gueldenst. ex Ledeb.</small>
|''Cichorium perenne'' <small>Stokes</small>
|''Cichorium rigidum'' <small>Salisb.</small>
|''Cichorium spinosum'' <small>Salisb.</small>
|''Cichorium sylvestre'' <small>Garsault </small>
|''Cichorium sylvestre'' <small>(Tourn.) Lam.</small>
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web|title=''Cichorium intybus'' L. synonyms|url=http://tropicos.org/Name/2702287?tab=synonyms|work=Tropicos.org|publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden|access-date=23 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=''Cichorium intybus'' L.|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/gcc-37233|website=The Plant List|access-date=23 March 2014|date=2013}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Illustration Cichorium intybus0 clean.jpg|thumb|Botanical illustration (1885)]]

'''Common chicory''' ('''''Cichorium intybus''''')<ref name="ecocrop.fao.org">{{cite web |url=http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=694 |title=Cichorium intybus |publisher=FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN |access-date=2013-12-16 |archive-date=2013-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523061502/http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=694 |url-status=dead }}</ref> is a somewhat woody, [[perennial]] herbaceous plant of the family [[Asteraceae]], usually with bright blue [[flower]]s, rarely white or pink. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Cichorium intybus'' L.|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:194533-1|website=Plants of the World Online|access-date=18 February 2023}}</ref>

Many varieties are cultivated for [[salad leaves]], chicons ([[blanching (horticulture)|blanched]] buds), or roots (var. ''sativum''), which are baked, ground, and used as a [[coffee substitute]] and [[food additive]]. In the 21st century, [[inulin]], an [[extract]] from chicory root, has been used in food manufacturing as a [[sweetener]] and source of [[dietary fiber]]. Chicory is also grown as a [[forage]] crop for [[livestock]].

==Description==
When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem. It can grow to {{Convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=off|frac=2}} tall.<ref name="Elias-2009">{{Cite book|last1=Elias|first1=Thomas S.|title=Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods|last2=Dykeman|first2=Peter A.|publisher=[[Sterling Publishing|Sterling]]|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4027-6715-9|location=New York|pages=115|oclc=244766414|orig-year=1982}}</ref> The [[leaves]] are stalked, [[lanceolate]] and unlobed; they range from {{Convert|7.5-32|cm|abbr=off|frac=4}} in length (smallest near the top)<ref name="Spellenberg-2001">{{Cite book |last=Spellenberg |first=Richard |url=https://archive.org/details/nationalaudubons00spel/page/366/ |title=National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region |publisher=Knopf |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-375-40233-3 |edition=rev |pages=366 |orig-date=1979}}</ref> and {{Convert|2-8|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} wide.<ref name="Elias-2009" /> The flower heads are {{Convert|3-5|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} wide,<ref name="Elias-2009" /> and usually light blue<ref name="Spellenberg-2001" /> or lavender; it has also rarely been described as white or pink.<ref name="Elias-2009" /> Of the two rows of [[involucral bract]]s, the inner is longer and erect, the outer is shorter and spreading. It flowers from March until October.<ref name="Spellenberg-2001" /> The seed has small scales at the tip.<ref name="Spellenberg-2001" />


Substances which contribute to the plant's bitterness are primarily the two [[sesquiterpene]] [[lactone]]s, [[lactucin]] and [[lactucopicrin]]. Other components are [[aesculetin]], [[aesculin]], [[cichoriin]], [[umbelliferone]], [[scopoletin]], 6,7-dihydro[[coumarin]], and further sesquiterpene lactones and their [[glycoside]]s.<ref>Harsh Pal Bais, GA Ravishankar (2001) Cichorium intybus L – cultivation, processing, utility, value addition and biotechnology, with an emphasis on current status and future prospects. ''Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture'', 81, 467–484.</ref> Around 1970, it was discovered that the root contains up to 20% [[inulin]], a [[polysaccharide]] similar to [[starch]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

== Names ==
Common chicory is also known as '''blue daisy''', '''blue dandelion''', '''blue sailors''', '''blue weed''', and '''wild endive''', among numerous other regional names.<ref name="oardc.ohio">{{cite web |author1=John Cardina |author2=Cathy Herms |author3=Tim Koch |author4=Ted Webster |title=Chickory ''Cichorium intybus'' |url=http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=920 |access-date=February 25, 2013 |work=Ohio Perennial & Biennial Weed Guide |publisher=Ohio State University OARDC Extension}}</ref> ("Cornflower" is also commonly applied to ''[[Cornflower|Centaurea cyanus]]''.) Common names for varieties of var. ''foliosum'' include [[endive]], [[radicchio]], [[radichetta]], Belgian endive, French endive, red endive, sugarloaf, and witloof (or witlof).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Benigni |first1=M. |last2=Bompeix |first2=G. |title=Chemical and biological control of ''Sclerotinia sclerotiorum'' in witloof chicory culture. |journal=Pest Manag. Sci. |date=2010 |volume=66 |issue=12 |pages=1332–1336 |doi=10.1002/ps.2019|pmid=20839264 }}</ref>

The scientific genus name ''Cichorium'' is ultimately from {{Langx|grc|κίχορα}} : kíkhora, meaning endive. The species name ''intybus'' is a variant of {{Langx|la|intibus}} also meaning endive. Moreover,  ''intibus'' is the ultimate etymological source of the English word ''endive''.

Ironically, the species of true endives is not ''Cichorium intybus'' but rather ''[[Cichorium endivia]]''.

== Distribution and habitat ==

Chicory is native to [[western Asia]], [[North Africa]], and Europe.<ref name="ecocrop.fao.org" /> It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in Europe. The plant was brought to North America by early [[European colonization of the Americas|European colonists]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lyle |first=Katie Letcher |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them |publisher=[[FalconGuides]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59921-887-8 |edition=2nd |location=Guilford, CN |pages=10 |oclc=560560606 |orig-year=2004}}</ref> It is also common in [[China]], and [[Australia]], where it has become widely [[Naturalisation (biology)|naturalized]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cichorium intybus |url=http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200023652 |access-date=23 March 2014 |publisher=Flora of North America}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200023652|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183748/http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200023652|url-status=dead|title=Cichorium intybus in Flora of China @ efloras.org|archivedate=March 3, 2016|website=www.efloras.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2919007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305013336/http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Cichorium%2Bintybus|url-status=dead|title=Species: Cichorium intybus (Chicory)|first=Atlas of Living|last=Australia|archivedate=March 5, 2016|website=bie.ala.org.au}}</ref>

It is more common in areas with abundant rain.<ref name="Spellenberg-2001" />

==Ecology==
Chicory is both a [[cultivated crop]] and a [[weed|weedy]] plant with a cosmopolitan distribution. Analysis of introduced weedy populations in North America has revealed that naturalized weedy chicory is partially descended from domesticated [[Cultivar|cultivars]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zavada |first1=Tomas |last2=Malik |first2=Rondy J. |last3=Kesseli |first3=Rick V. |title=Population structure in chicory (Cichorium intybus): A successful U.S. weed since the American revolutionary war |journal=Ecology and Evolution |date=2017 |volume=7 |issue=12|pages=4209–4219 |doi=10.1002/ece3.2994 |bibcode=2017EcoEv...7.4209Z |doi-access=free |pmid=28649334 |pmc=5478081 }}</ref>  

Chicory grows in roadsides, waste places, and other disturbed areas, and can survive in lawns due to its ability to resprout from its low basal rosette of leaves. It typically does not enter undisturbed natural areas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chicory, Cichorium intybus |url=https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/chicory-cichorium-intybus/ |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dorman |first1=Kathryn |title=Chicory- weed or flower? |url=https://extension.psu.edu/chicory-weed-or-flower |publisher=Penn State Extension}}</ref> It most prefers limestone soils, but tolerates an array of conditions. [[Bee]]s, [[Butterfly|butterflies]], and [[Fly|flies]] feed upon it. Chicory is classified as a [[Drought tolerance|drought tolerant]] plant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=University |first=Utah State |title=Chicory |url=https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/forbs-herbaceous/chicory |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=extension.usu.edu |language=en}}</ref> 

== Uses ==
{{Cookbook|Chicory}}
=== Culinary ===
{{nutritional value
| name = Chicory greens, raw
| kJ = 96
| water = 92 g
| protein = 1.7 g
| fat = 0.3 g
| carbs = 4.7 g
| fiber = 4 g
| sugars = 0.7 g
| calcium_mg = 100
| iron_mg = 0.9
| magnesium_mg = 30
| phosphorus_mg = 47
| potassium_mg = 420
| sodium_mg = 45
| zinc_mg = 0.42
| manganese_mg = 0.429
| vitC_mg = 24
| thiamin_mg = 0.06
| riboflavin_mg = 0.1
| niacin_mg = 0.5
| pantothenic_mg = 1.159
| vitB6_mg = 0.105
| folate_ug = 110
| vitA_ug = 286
| betacarotene_ug = 3430
| lutein_ug = 10300
| vitE_mg = 2.26
| vitK_ug = 297.6
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169992/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
{{nutritional value
| name = Belgian endive (witloof), raw
| kJ = 71
| water = 94 g
| protein = 0.9 g
| fat = 0.1 g
| carbs = 4 g
| fiber = 3.1 g
| calcium_mg = 19
| iron_mg = 0.24
| magnesium_mg = 10
| phosphorus_mg = 26
| potassium_mg = 211
| sodium_mg = 2
| zinc_mg = 0.16
| manganese_mg = 0.1
| vitC_mg = 2.8
| thiamin_mg = 0.062
| riboflavin_mg = 0.027
| niacin_mg = 0.16
| pantothenic_mg = 0.145
| vitB6_mg = 0.042
| folate_ug = 37
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168412/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

The entire plant is edible.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]]; United States Department of the Army |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |pages=42 |language=en-US |oclc=277203364}}</ref>

Raw chicory leaves are 92% water, 5% [[carbohydrate]]s, 2% [[Protein (nutrient)|protein]], and contain negligible [[fat]]. In a 100-gram (3½ oz) reference amount, raw chicory leaves provide {{convert|23|cal|J|lk=in}} and significant amounts (more than 20% of the [[Daily Value]]) of [[vitamin K]], [[vitamin A]], [[vitamin C]], some [[B vitamins]], and [[manganese]]. [[Vitamin E]] and [[calcium]] are present in moderate amounts. Raw endive is 94% water and has low nutrient content.

==== Root chicory ====

Root chicory (''Cichorium intybus'' var. ''sativum'') has long been cultivated in Europe as a [[coffee substitute]].<ref name="Neverman4">{{cite web|author=Laurie Neverman|url=https://commonsensehome.com/chicory/|title=Chicory - The "Coffee Root" Plant|date=31 August 2018}}</ref> The roots are baked, roasted, ground, and used as an additive, especially in the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] region (where the plant is native). As a coffee additive, it is also mixed in [[Indian filter coffee]] and in parts of Southeast Asia, South Africa, and the southern United States, particularly in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]]. In France, a mixture of 60% chicory and 40% coffee is sold under the trade name [[Ricoré]]. It has been more widely used during economic crises such as the [[Great Depression]] in the 1930s and during [[World War II]] in Continental Europe. Chicory, with [[sugar beet]] and [[rye]], was used as an ingredient of the [[East Germany|East German]] {{Lang|de|Mischkaffee}} (mixed coffee), introduced during the "[[East German coffee crisis]]" of 1976–1979. It is also added to coffee in [[Spain|Spanish]], [[Turkey|Turkish]], [[Syria]]n, [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] and [[Palestine (region)|Palestinian]] cuisines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/english/pages.php?ParentID=5&FirstLevel=53&SecondLevel=61 |author=Tijen İnaltong |title=Wild Herbs of Turkey |publisher=Turkish Cultural Foundation |access-date=2013-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116115552/http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/english/pages.php?ParentID=5&FirstLevel=53&SecondLevel=61 |archive-date=2013-01-16 }}</ref>

Some beer brewers use roasted chicory to add flavor to [[stout]]s (commonly expected to have a coffee-like flavor). Others have added it to strong blond Belgian-style ales, to augment the [[hops]], making a {{Lang|nl|witloofbier}}, from the Dutch name for the plant.

The roots can also be cooked like [[parsnip]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nyerges |first1=Christopher |title=Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America: More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Nature's Edibles |date=2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4930-1499-6 |page=57 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RwDHCgAAQBAJ}}</ref>

[[File:Dried chicory root.jpg|thumb|Dried chicory root]]
[[File:Chicory tea.jpg|thumb|Korean chicory tea made from dried chicory root]]

==== Leaf chicory ====

===== Wild =====
While edible raw, wild chicory leaves usually have a [[Bitterness (taste)|bitter]] taste, especially the older leaves.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nyerges|first=Christopher|title=Foraging Washington: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods|publisher=Falcon Guides|year=2017|isbn=978-1-4930-2534-3|location=Guilford, CT|oclc=965922681}}</ref> The flavor is appreciated in certain cuisines, such as in the [[Liguria]]n and [[Apulia]]n regions of [[Italy]] and also in the southern part of India. In Ligurian cuisine, wild chicory leaves are an ingredient of ''[[preboggion]]'' and in the Apulian region, wild chicory leaves are combined with [[fava]] bean puree in the traditional local dish ''fave e cicorie selvatiche''.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kyle Phillips |url=http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickpeaslentils/r/blr1898.htm |title=Fava Bean Puree with Wild Chicory Recipe - Fave e Cicorie Selvatiche |publisher=About.com |access-date=2013-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115192015/http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickpeaslentils/r/blr1898.htm |archive-date=2013-11-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In [[Albania]], the leaves are used as a spinach substitute, mainly served simmered and marinated in olive oil, or as ingredient for fillings of ''[[byrek]]''. In Greece a variety of wild chicory found in [[Crete]] and known as ''stamnagathi (spiny chicory)'' is used as a salad served with olive oil and lemon juice.

By cooking and discarding the water, the bitterness is reduced, after which the chicory leaves may be [[Sautéing|sautéed]] with garlic, [[anchovies]], and other ingredients. In this form, the resulting greens might be combined with [[pasta]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dolcevitadiaries.co.uk/2009/05/19/wild-chicory-spaghetti |title=Wild Chicory Spaghetti |publisher=Nudo Italia |work=Dolce Vita Diaries |date=2009-05-19 |access-date=2013-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113155934/http://dolcevitadiaries.co.uk/2009/05/19/wild-chicory-spaghetti/ |archive-date=2011-01-13 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> or accompany meat dishes.<ref>Jaume Fàbrega, ''El gust d'un poble: els plats més famosos de la cuina catalana''. Llomillo fregit amb xicoires</ref>

===== Cultivated =====
Chicory may be cultivated for its leaves, usually eaten raw as [[salad leaves]]. Cultivated chicory is generally divided into three types, of which there are many varieties:<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.gardenzone.info/crops/index.php?crop=chicory|publisher=Gardenzone.info|year=2004|first1=Frann|last1=Leach|title=Organic Gardening: How to grow organic Chicory|access-date=2008-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721202446/http://www.gardenzone.info/crops/index.php?crop=chicory|archive-date=2011-07-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* '''[[Radicchio]]''' usually has variegated red or red and green leaves. Some only refer to the white-veined red-leaved type as radicchio, also known as red endive and red chicory. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted. It can also be used to add color and zest to salads. It is largely used in Italy in different varieties, the most famous being the ones from [[Treviso]] (known as ''radicchio rosso di Treviso''),<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.radicchioditreviso.it/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=22|publisher=Consorzio Tutela Radicchio Rosso di Treviso e Variegato di Castelfranco IGP|title=Radicchio Rosso di Treviso IGP - Tardivo (Red Radicchio of Treviso - Late harvest)|language=it|access-date=2013-08-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204043947/http://www.radicchioditreviso.it/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=22|archive-date=2014-02-04}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0094.htm|title=Radicchio Rosso: The Marvel from Treviso|publisher=About.com|access-date=2013-08-25|archive-date=2016-01-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104171524/http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0094.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> from [[Verona]] (''radicchio di Verona''), and [[Chioggia]] (''radicchio di Chioggia''), which are classified as an [[Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union|IGP]].<ref>{{citation |title=Radicchio di Verona IGP |date=2 February 2009 |url=http://www.trevenezie.it/it/radicchio-di-verona-igp/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223144631/http://www.trevenezie.it/it/radicchio-di-verona-igp/ |publisher=TreVenezie |language=it |access-date=2022-07-11 |archive-date=2014-02-23}}</ref>{{What|reason=This acronym isn't included on the linked page|date=July 2022}} It is also common in Greece, where it is known as ''radiki'' and mainly boiled in salads, and is used in pies.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

[[File:Witlof en wortel.jpg|upright|thumb|Witloof, Belgian endive]]

*'''[[Belgian endive]]''' is known in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] as {{Lang|nl|witloof}} or {{Lang|nl|witlof}} ("white leaf"), ''{{Lang|it|indivia}}'' in Italy, {{Lang|es|endivias}} in Spain, chicory in the UK, as witlof in [[Australia]], ''endive'' in France and Canada, and ''{{Lang|fr|chicon}}'' in parts of northern France, in [[Wallonia]] and (in French) in [[Luxembourg]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yeoman |first=Andrew |date=1 March 2001 |title=Belgian Endives |url=https://www.bcliving.ca/belgian-endives |access-date=21 September 2022 |website=BCLiving}}</ref> It has a small head of cream-colored, bitter leaves. The harvested root is allowed to sprout indoors in the absence of sunlight, which prevents the leaves from turning green and opening up ([[etiolation]]). It is often sold wrapped in blue paper to protect it from light, so as to preserve its pale color and delicate flavor. The smooth, creamy white leaves may be served stuffed, baked, boiled, cut, or cooked in a milk sauce, or simply cut raw. The tender leaves are slightly bitter; the whiter the leaf, the less bitter the taste. The harder inner part of the stem at the bottom of the head can be cut out before cooking to prevent bitterness. Belgium exports ''chicon/witloof'' to over 40 countries. The technique for growing these  [[Blanching (horticulture)|blanched]] endives was accidentally discovered in the 1850s at the [[Botanical Garden of Brussels]] in [[Saint-Josse-ten-Noode]], Belgium.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodmuseum.com/endive.html |title=Belgian endive- Cichorium intybus |publisher=The Food Museum |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050729081033/http://www.foodmuseum.com/endive.html |archive-date=2005-07-29}}</ref> Today France is the largest producer of endive.<ref>{{cite web|title=About|url=http://www.frenchvegetables.com/about|publisher=Frenchvegetables.com|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116115552/http://www.frenchvegetables.com/about/|archive-date=2013-01-16}}</ref>

*'''[[puntarelle|Catalogna chicory]]''' (''Cichorium intybus var. foliosum''), also known as ''puntarelle'', includes a whole subfamily (some varieties from Belgian endive and some from radicchio)<ref>{{citation| publisher= PROJECTFOODLAB| date=March 17, 2011|access-date=2013-08-25|title = Cicoria Asparago o Catalogna - Long-stemmed Italian Chicory| url =http://projectfoodlab.typepad.com/projectfoodlab-italy/2011/03/cicoria-asparago-o-catalogna-long-stemmed-italian-chicory.html}}</ref> of chicory and is used throughout Italy.

Although leaf chicory is often called "endive", true endive (''[[Cichorium endivia]]'') is a different species in the same genus, distinct from Belgian endive.<ref>{{cite web |title=Endive, Chicory and Witloof |url=http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/vegetables/endive.html |access-date=2013-12-16 |work=Aggie Horticulture |publisher=Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System}}</ref>

==== Chicory root and inulin ====
{{see also|Inulin}}
Inulin is mainly found in the plant family [[Asteraceae]] as a storage carbohydrate (e.g. [[Jerusalem artichoke]], [[dahlia]], and [[yacon]]). It is used as a sweetener in the food industry, with 10% of the sweetening power of sucrose<ref>{{cite web |author=Joseph O'Neill |url=http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Formulations/using-inulin-and-oligofructose-with-high-intensity-sweeteners.aspx |title=Using inulin and oligofructose with high-intensity sweeteners |publisher=Penton |work=New Hope 360 |date=2008-06-01 |access-date=2013-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731112515/http://www.functionalingredientsmag.com/article/Formulations/using-inulin-and-oligofructose-with-high-intensity-sweeteners.aspx |archive-date=2012-07-31 }}</ref> and is sometimes added to yogurts as a '[[prebiotic (nutrition)|prebiotic]]'.<ref>Madrigal L. Sangronis E. "Inulin and derivates as key ingredients in functional foods. [Review]" [Spanish]  ''Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricion''. 57(4):387-96, 2007 Dec.</ref> It is also a source of [[dietary fiber]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Raninen |first1=K |last2=Lappi |first2=J |last3=Mykkänen |first3=H |last4=Poutanen |first4=K |year=2011 |title=Dietary fiber type reflects physiological functionality: Comparison of grain fiber, inulin, and polydextrose |journal=Nutrition Reviews |volume=69 |issue=1 |pages=9–21 |doi=10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00358.x |pmid=21198631 |doi-access=free}}</ref> 

Fresh chicory root may contain 13–23% inulin as a percentage of its total carbohydrate content.<ref name="Wilson04">
{{cite journal
 |doi=10.2135/cropsci2004.0748 
 |last=Wilson 
 |first=Robert 
 |journal=Crop Sci. 
 |volume=44 
 |issue=3 
 |pages=748–752 
 |year=2004 
 |title=Chicory Root Yield and Carbohydrate Composition is Influenced by Cultivar Selection, Planting, and Harvest Date 
 |access-date=2008-08-20 
 |url=http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/44/3/748 
 |author2=S 
 |author3=Y 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013213941/http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/44/3/748 
 |archive-date=2008-10-13 
|url-access=subscription 
 }}</ref>

===Traditional use ===
Chicory root contains [[essential oil]]s similar to those found in plants in the related genus ''[[Tanacetum]]''.<ref>Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, {{ISBN|0-87842-359-1}}</ref> In [[alternative medicine]], chicory has been listed as one of the 38 plants used to prepare [[Bach flower remedies]].<ref name="Vohra2004">{{cite book|author=D. S. Vohra|title=Bach Flower Remedies: A Comprehensive Study|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=icG8onA0ys8C&pg=PR3|access-date=2 September 2013|date=1 June 2004|publisher=B. Jain Publishers|isbn=978-81-7021-271-3|page=3}}</ref>

=== Forage ===
Chicory is highly digestible for [[ruminant]]s and has a low fiber concentration.<ref name="books.google.com">{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=jla_sZtQPi0C&pg=PA209 | title = Advances in agronomy | isbn = 978-0-12-000786-8 | last1 = Agronomy | first1 = American Society of | date = 2005-10-25| publisher = Gulf Professional }}</ref> Chicory roots were once considered an "excellent substitute for [[oats]]" for horses due to their protein and fat content.<ref>{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TisoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA74 | title = Commerce reports | publisher = Bureau Of Foreign And Domestic Commerce | first = Alfred W. | last = Donegan | year = 1915}}</ref> Chicory contains a low quantity of reduced tannins<ref name="books.google.com" /> that may increase protein utilization efficiency in ruminants.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Some tannins reduce intestinal parasites.<ref name="smallstock.info">{{cite web|url=http://www.smallstock.info/info/feedhealth/tannins.htm |title=Tannins, Nutrition and Internal Parasites |publisher=NR International |archive-date=2008-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210060232/http://www.smallstock.info/info/feedhealth/tannins.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Kidane | first1 = A. Houdijk JG. Athanasiadou S. Tolkamp BJ. Kyriazakis I. | year = 2010 | title = Effects of maternal protein nutrition and subsequent grazing on chicory (Cichorium intybus) on parasitism and performance of lambs | journal = Journal of Animal Science | volume = 88 | issue = 4| pages = 1513–21 | doi=10.2527/jas.2009-2530| pmid = 20023143 }}</ref> Dietary chicory may be [[toxicity|toxic]] to internal [[parasite]]s, with studies of ingesting chicory by [[Livestock|farm animal]]s having lower [[Intestinal parasite infection|worm burdens]], leading to its use as a [[forage]] [[dietary supplement|supplement]].<ref>{{cite journal
  | title = Individual administration of three tanniferous forage plants to lambs artificially infected with ''Haemonchus contortus'' and ''Cooperia curticei''
  | journal = Vet. Parasitol.
  | volume = 146
  | issue = 1–2
  | pages = 123–34
  | date = 2007-05-15
  | url =http://orgprints.org/13009/1/abstract_Vet_Parasitol_Heckendorn.pdf| doi =10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.01.009
  | pmid = 17336459
  | last1 =Heckendorn
  | first1 =F
  | last2 =Häring
  | first2 =DA
  | last3 =Maurer
  | first3 =V
  | last4 =Senn
  | first4 =M
  | last5 =Hertzberg
  | first5 =H  }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
  | title = The use of chicory for parasite control in organic ewes and their lambs
  | journal = Parasitology
  | volume = 134
  | issue = Pt 2
  | pages = 299–307
  |date=February 2007
  | doi =10.1017/S0031182006001363
  | pmid = 17032469 
  | author =Athanasiadou, S.
  | last2 =Gray
  | first2 =D
  | last3 =Younie
  | first3 =D
  | last4 =Tzamaloukas
  | first4 =O
  | last5 =Jackson
  | first5 =F
  | last6 =Kyriazakis
  | first6 =I  | s2cid = 20439889
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
  | last1 = Tzamaloukas
  | first1 = O
  | title =The effect of chicory (''Cichorium intybus'') and sulla (''Hedysarum coronarium'') on larval development and mucosal cell responses of growing lambs challenged with ''Teladorsagia circumcincta''
  | journal = Parasitology
  | volume = 132
  | issue = Pt 3
  | pages = 419–26
  |date=March 2006
  | doi =10.1017/S0031182005009194
  | pmid = 16332288
  | last2 =Athanasiadou
  | first2 =S
  | last3 =Kyriazakis
  | first3 =I
  | last4 =Huntley
  | first4 =JF
  | last5 =Jackson
  | first5 =F  | s2cid = 19505377
 }}</ref> Although chicory might have originated in France, Italy and India,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thomas |first1=Rans |title=Chicory: A Powerful Perennial |url=http://www.qdma.com/what-we-do/articles/food-plotshabitat/chicory/ |website=Quality Deer Management Association |access-date=29 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111104203/http://www.qdma.com/what-we-do/articles/food-plotshabitat/chicory/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 January 2012|date=2012-01-11 }}</ref> much development of chicory for use with livestock has been undertaken in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ruralliving.co.nz/cms/special_feature/pasture_management/2011/03/making_good_use_of_chicory.php |title=Making good use of chicory |date=2011-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727162720/http://www.ruralliving.co.nz/cms/special_feature/pasture_management/2011/03/making_good_use_of_chicory.php |archive-date=2011-07-27}}</ref>

Forage varieties include:
* 'Puna' ('[[Grassland]]s Puna'): Developed in New Zealand,<ref>Gene Logsdon {{google books|jmZtbmnSLlsC|All Flesh is Grass: The Pleasures and Promises of Pasture Farming|page=208}}</ref><ref>Donald L. Sparks (Editor){{google books|jla_sZtQPi0C|Advances in Agronomy, Volume 88|page=188}}</ref> Grasslands Puna is well adapted to different climates, being grown from [[Alberta]], [[Canada]], [[New Mexico]], [[Florida]] to Australia.<ref name="Sparks">Donald L. Sparks (Editor) {{google books|jla_sZtQPi0C|Advances in Agronomy, Volume 88|page=190}}</ref> It is resistant to bolting, which leads to high nutrient levels in the leaves in spring. It also is able to quickly come back after grazing.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Nelson |editor-first1=C. Jerry  |editor-last2=Redfearn |editor-first2=Daren D.  |editor-last3=Moore |editor-first3=Kenneth J. |editor-last4=Collins |editor-first4=Michael |date=2020 |title=Forages, Volume 2, The Science of Grassland Agriculture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JGjoDwAAQBAJ&dq=Chicory+rapid+recovery+from+grazing&pg=PA354 |location=West Sussex, England |publisher=Wiley |page=354 |isbn=9781119436614 |quote=rapid recovery from grazing}}</ref>
* 'Forage Feast':<ref>Ashton Acton (Editor) {{google books|CnEKjKiB2q4C|Advances in Agriculture Research and Application: 2011 Edition|page=280}}</ref> A variety from France used for human consumption and also for wildlife plots, where animals such as deer might graze.<ref name="Sparks" /> It is resistant to bolting.<ref name="Moore">Kenneth J. Moore, Michael Collins, C. Jerry Nelson and Daren D. Redfearn (Editors) {{google books|RjXnDwAAQBAJ|Forages, Volume 2: The Science of Grassland Agriculture|page=354}}</ref> It is very cold-hardy, and being lower in tannins than other forage varieties, is suitable for human consumption.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
* 'Choice': has been bred for high winter and early-spring growth activity, and lower amounts of lactucin and lactone, which are believed to taint milk. It is also use for seeding deer wildlife plots.<ref name="Sparks" />
* 'Oasis':<ref name="Fiduccia">Peter J. Fiduccia {{google books|hmqCDwAAQBAJ|Rx for Deer Hunting Success: Time-Tested Tactics from the Deer Doctor|page=493}}</ref> was bred for increased lactone rates for the forage industry, and for higher resistance to fungal diseases such as ''[[Sclerotinia]]'' (mainly ''[[Sclerotinia minor|s. minor]]'' and ''[[Sclerotinia sclerotiorum|S. sclerotiorum]]''.<ref>Steven T. Koike, Peter Gladders and Albert Paulus {{google books|AF34pLQAHVoC|Vegetable Diseases: A Colour Handbook (2006)|page=394}}</ref>)
* 'Puna II': This variety is more winter-active than most others, which leads to greater persistence and longevity.<ref name="Sparks" />
* 'Grouse':<ref name="Sparks" /> A New Zealand variety, it is used as a planting companion for forage [[brassica]]s. More prone to early flowering than other varieties, it has higher crowns more susceptible to overbrowsing.
* 'Six Point': A United States variety, winter hardy and resistant to bolting.<ref name="Fiduccia" /> It is very similar to Puna.

Others varieties known include; 'Chico', 'Ceres Grouse', 'Good Hunt', 'El Nino' and 'Lacerta'.<ref name="Moore" />

== History ==
The plant has a history reaching back to ancient Egypt.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Puhlmann | first1=Marie-Luise | last2=de Vos | first2=Willem M | title=Back to the Roots: Revisiting the Use of the Fiber-Rich Cichorium intybus L. Taproots | journal=Advances in Nutrition | volume=12 | issue=4 | date=2021 | pmid=34132327 | pmc=8321837 | doi=10.1093/advances/nmaa025| doi-access=free | page=1598}}</ref> In ancient [[Rome]], a dish called ''[[puntarelle]]'' was made with chicory sprouts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rome.info/food/ |title=Rome food and cuisine |publisher=Rome.info |access-date=2013-12-16}}</ref>  It was mentioned by [[Horace]] in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: {{lang|la|Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea levesque [[malva]]e}} ("As for me, olives, endives, and light mallows provide sustenance").<ref>Horace, ''Odes'' [https://horatius.net/index.xps?2.131 1.31], ca 30 BC</ref> Chicory was first described as a cultivated plant in the 17th century.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Prance |editor1-first=Ghillean |editor2-last=Nesbitt |editor2-first=Mark |last1=Pieroni |first1=Andrea |author-link=Andrea Pieroni |date=2005 |title=The Cultural History of Plants |publisher=Routledge |page=40 |isbn=0415927463}}</ref> When coffee was introduced to Europe, the Dutch thought that chicory made a lively addition to the bean drink.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In 1766, [[Frederick the Great]] banned the importation of coffee into [[Prussia]], leading to the development of a coffee substitute by [[Braunschweig|Brunswick]] innkeeper Christian Gottlieb Förster (died 1801), who gained a concession in 1769–70 to manufacture it in Brunswick and [[Berlin]]. By 1795, 22 to 24 factories of this type were in Brunswick.<ref>{{cite book|editor1=Thomas Hengartner |editor2=Christoph Maria Merki |title=Genußmittel|publisher=Campus Verlag |location= Frankfurt a. M. New York |year=1999| isbn= 978-3-593-36337-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Carl Philipp Ribbentrop |title=Vollständige Geschichte und Beschreibung der Stadt Braunschweig. |volume= 2 |location= Braunschweig|year= 1796 |pages= 146–148 |language=de}}</ref> [[Lord Monboddo]] describes the plant in 1779<ref>Letter from Monboddo to John Hope, 29 April 1779; reprinted by William Knight 1900 {{ISBN|1-85506-207-0}}</ref> as the "chicoree", which the French cultivated as a [[leaf vegetable|pot herb]]. In [[Napoleonic Era]] France, chicory frequently appeared as an [[adulterant]] in coffee, or as a coffee substitute.<ref name="DGS">{{Cite book | last = Guas | first = David |author2=Raquel Pelzel  | title = DamGood Sweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style   | publisher = [[Taunton Press]]  | year = 2009  | location = [[Newtown, Connecticut]]  | pages = 60–64  | isbn = 978-1-60085-118-6}}</ref> Chicory was also adopted as a coffee substitute by Confederate soldiers during the [[American Civil War]], and has become common in the U.S. It was also used in the UK during World War II, where [[Camp Coffee]], a coffee and chicory essence, has been on sale since 1885.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/XG1CiGSCTzqb05nDwIhhjg | title=BBC - A History of the World: Original Camp Coffee label | author=<!--Not stated--> | date=16 September 2021 | publisher=BBC }}</ref>

In the U.S., chicory root has long been used as a coffee substitute in prisons.<ref>(a) Delaney, John H. "New York (State). Dept. of Efficiency and Economy Annual Report". Albany New York, 1915, p. 673. Accessed via Google Books.<br />(b) "Prison Talk" website; Kentucky section: {{cite web|url=http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-173368.html |title=Current Food Service Vendor Contract for another 4 yrs. UPDATED |access-date=2008-03-18 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313140240/http://prisontalk.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-173368.html |archive-date=2016-03-13 }}.</ref> By the 1840s, the [[port of New Orleans]] was the second-largest importer of coffee (after New York).<ref name="DGS" /> Louisianans began to add chicory root to their coffee when [[Union Navy|Union naval]] blockades during the American Civil War cut off the port of New Orleans, thereby creating a long-standing tradition.<ref name="DGS" />

== In culture ==
Chicory is mentioned in certain ancient Chinese texts about silk production. Amongst traditional recommendations the primary caretaker of the silkworms, the "silkworm mother", should not eat or even touch it.<ref name="AuveraSoie">{{cite web |title=Around silk: raising silk worms |url=http://auverasoie.com/Version_anglaise/univers.html |website=Au Ver a Soie |access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="TaiwanToday1984">{{cite web |title=The sheen of romance |url=https://taiwantoday.tw/print.php?unit=12,29,33,45&post=22633 |website=Taiwan Today |access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref>

The chicory flower is often seen as inspiration for the Romantic concept of the [[Blue Flower]] (e.g. in German language ''Blauwarte'' ≈ blue lookout by the wayside). Similar to the springwort and moonwort, it could open locked doors, according to European [[folklore]].<ref>Howard, Michael. ''Traditional Folk Remedies'' (Century, 1987), p.120.</ref><ref name="Radford-1961">{{Cite book |last=Radford |first=Edwin |title=Encyclopaedia of superstitions (from 1961 original) |date=2003 |others=Christina Hole, M. A. Radford |isbn=1410209148 |edition=Revised and enlarged edition by Christina Hole|publisher=The Minerva Group |location=London |oclc=840105}}</ref> However, the plant must be gathered at noon or midnight on St. James's Day and cut with gold while being silent, or else one would die afterwards.<ref name="Radford-1961" />

Chicory was also believed to grant its possessor invisibility.<ref name="Radford-1961" />

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Cichorium endiva.jpg|Leaves unlobed and pointed
File:Cichorium intybus, white form, 2023-08-27, Etna, 01.jpg|White form
File:Chicory Stamen.jpg|Stamen (100x)
File:Chicory Anther.jpg|Anther (100x)
File:Chicory Stomata.jpg|Stomata (40x)
File:Chicory Root.jpg|Root
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Sugar substitute]]
* [[Cuisine and specialties of Nord-Pas-de-Calais]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Cichorium intybus}}
{{Wikiversity-bc|Cichorium intybus}}
{{Wikisource|Chicory}}
{{Wiktionary}}

*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060927121306/https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=36762 ITIS 36762]}}
*[https://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Cichorium.html Species of chicory and endive]
*[https://www.northernbushcraft.com/plants/chicory/notes.htm Edibility of Chicory]: Edible parts and identification of wild Chicory.
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110516194224/http://www.naturemanitoba.ca/botany/wildPlants/Chicory.pdf Chicory, from Nature Manitoba]}}

{{Coffee}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2544599}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cichorieae]]
[[Category:Coffee substitutes]]
[[Category:Crops]]
[[Category:Dietary supplements]]
[[Category:Flora of Europe]]
[[Category:Food additives]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Perennial vegetables]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Prebiotics (nutrition)]]
[[Category:Spices]]