Chicory

the root of chicory (Cichorium radix)

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a perennial with pale blue heads that open in the morning and close by the afternoon, and with a hard, angular, branching stem. It grows beside roads, on embankments, on waste ground and in dry meadows; it is the wild ancestor of radicchio and of coffee chicory.

The root is dug in autumn, when the reserve substances have gathered in it; it is washed, cut lengthways and dried. The flowering herb is gathered as well, in July and August. The root is markedly bitter and in folk tradition is roasted as a substitute for coffee.

It is gathered away from roads, because chicory often grows right beside them. In the collection it appears as a bitter ingredient of the blends for the digestion and the liver.

Use and evidence

The EMA recognises traditional use to relieve mild dyspepsia and temporary loss of appetite. It does not support the treatment of diabetes, diseases of the liver or cancer. EMA 1, EMA 2.