Chicory

Scientific Name: Chicorium Intybus

Identification: Slightly pointy base leaves resemble that of a dandelion (same family) long tough sturdy stems and periwinkle flowers

Benefits: Contains manganese and vitamin B6, and has inulin, a prebiotic fiber known to aid with weight loss and gut health.

Chicory was the second wild edible to dandelions that my children were readily able to identify. It’s hard to mistake that periwinkle flower, and by mid summer there’s not a brush or roadside patch anywhere that doesn’t have chicory growing! I first became familiar with the root of chicory, as it’s often used as a caffeine free alternative to coffee or tea. It has a very unique yet similar taste, especially with some sugar added for sweetness.

The roots go very deep, but the plant is tall enough to help pull them out, always be sure to ‘take some and leave some’ when you’re harvesting anywhere, even in your own yard. Many things feed on these flowers, and we are not to interfere with nature’s way. You can eat the whole plant, the flowers and roots are consumed the most. Flowers in salads or tea or for decorative baking. And the roots are used to brew. The leaves can be eaten raw in a salad or cooked with some other backyard greens. Or you can always dry it all.

I harvest as much chicory as I can when it’s season, and whatever I get, lasts me all year. Utilize your time as well as your surroundings. Happy Homesteading!