Herb to Know: Chicory

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• Cichorium intybus
• Hardy to Zone 3

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a multipurpose hardy perennial herb: In the garden, it gives off a fragrance of fresh field greens; in the kitchen, its young bittersweet basal leaves — rich in iron, calcium and copper — delight the taste buds; and cooks can grind the caramel-scented taproot and serve it raw or add it to cooked dishes.

Chicory is a relative of endive, and it produces tight, light green and white heads that bring a tangy flavor to salads when braised or eaten raw. Old-time herbalists recommended a cup of this herb as a weight-loss vegetable, as it has been known historically as an appetite suppressant. Cook the roots and green, arrow-shaped leaves as a potherb, or serve them steamed or boiled and seasoned with butter, fruit and spices.

The Egyptians, and later the Arabs, made great use of chicory leaves. During times of the Pharaohs, herbalists added chicory juice to rose oil and vinegar to treat headaches and prescribed it with wine to relieve digestive problems. The taproot was used as a tonic and a diuretic to relieve water retention and help reduce obesity.

Europeans began cultivating chicory around the early 17th century, and its popularity as a weight-loss vegetable grew in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. During Napoleon’s blockade of European ports, nurses treated wounded soldiers for inflammation with a poultice made from bruised chicory leaves. Napoleon’s armies used raw and ground chicory root like chewing tobacco because of its bittersweet taste.

In the 19th century, chicory was introduced to the United States. Although chicory has never gained much popularity here, its roots and leaves are commercially marketed and sometimes sold in supermarkets. Chicory buds are often pickled, and the leaves and roots can be dried; chopped and eaten raw; or boiled and mixed with sweeter greens and relish. Chicory is popular in New Orleans’ blended coffee — the caramel-flavored root is caffeine-free.