Chicory

Several cultures have rubbed shoulders with chicory to the point that in the year 2000 the 7th millennium of cohabitation between man and this root was over. Although researchers revealed that they had found remains of chicory in the ashes of prehistoric fires, it was in ancient Egypt that it left its mark.

An old papyrus from 4000 BC exhibited in the Leipzig library, not far from Berlin, makes it one of his main works. Along the famous Nile, the Egyptian people roasted wild chicory in the form of medicine and food aware of its medicinal properties, especially on digestion. Its aura went far beyond the Egyptian period, since it extended to ancient Rome. At this time, chicory is beneficial for skin diseases, purifying for the liver and positive for the functioning of the kidneys or stomach ailments.

Finally, the choice of chicory to the detriment of coffee was above all the result of a combination of circumstances. On the one hand, Napoleon ordered the blocking of coffee imports during the Continental Blockade in November 1806 and on the other hand, chicory made its appearance. Thus, this root, used for medicinal purposes, was turned towards food or the preparation of drinks. It was at this precise moment that the terms chicory coffee, coffee with chicory appeared and coffee with milk became one of the favorite drinks of the French.

Wild chicory or bitter chicory (which comes from the Latin Cichorium intybus) is a perennial plant easily recognizable by its azure blue flowers that can be found along the roadside. It is a grass belonging to the line of "Asteraceae" which is also called "composite" (because of the flowers that compose it). It includes more familiar vegetables such as lettuce or dandelion.

On our side, it is one of the three varieties of chicory that attracts our attention: The sitavium. This variety is cultivated for its root, produced mainly in France (north, Pas-de-Calais and Picardy). Before coming to the tasting, you should know that the flower stores inulin in its root, energy if you prefer. Inulin is a real natural fiber that combines several sugars. To summarize and adapt the line from the film Intouchable to our subject: "No root, no chicory".

Like a fruit, chicory is packed with natural sugars. No more products full of added sugars, make way for a product naturally rich in fructose, glucose and sucrose. It is an article completely compatible with many diets including those against diabetes. Pregnant women and children can also consume it without fear.

Chicory plays a major role in healthy diets. The one called "the bride of the sun" because of its color change depending on the time of day, can be an option to promote hydration. In hot drinks by making a chicory hazelnut milk, and for the cold version, a coffee with chicory! As for water, the caramelized taste of chicory can add some pep to this ordinary drink.

Last but not least, chicory is rich in fiber thanks to the inulin that we mentioned a little above. By acting as a prebiotic, it participates in the regulation of transit and ensures the proper functioning of the intestinal flora. 3 cups a day are enough to solve your cases of digestive disorders.

The origin

Coffee comes from the coffee tree, a shrub that develops fully in favorable areas (high altitude, suitable climate) mostly located in the very famous "coffee belt". It is under these optimal conditions that the cherries, from which the coffee comes, produce the best varieties of coffee. Conversely, chicory is grown on a more local scale, in France (Hauts-de-France) and comes from a root.

A distinct manufacturing process

We find similarities between the production stages of coffee and those of chicory. Before obtaining brown gold, certain steps, roughly schematized here, must be followed. First, the planting and cultivation of the coffee tree until the appearance of a fruit "the coffee cherry", then the harvest of the latter "just at maturity". Then comes the roasting and grinding of the coffee.

For chicory, we count the cultivation, the drying followed by the roasting, identical until then to coffee. It is from the crushing that things differ: The root of wild chicory is put in the form of "cossettes" (roots cut into thin strips) before being crushed and becoming grain. To obtain liquid chicory or soluble chicory, manufacturers send them to extractors. Once immersed in hot water, the cossettes deliver chicory nectar. For soluble chicory, going through a kind of giant dryer gives it the appearance of a fine, creamy powder.

The caffeine content

We mentioned it earlier, chicory contains no caffeine. You can therefore enjoy it at any time of the day, which is not the case with coffee. The latter has stimulating properties, sadly known to complicate, among other things, falling asleep. In short, it is the perfect coffee substitute, think about it! However, if you are missing your morning coffee, be sure to read on!

What bothers you is that coffee activates you when it shouldn't? Try cutting down on caffeine first by switching to chicory with caffeine. Maxicoffee offers in its chicory section, products that you may like ( organic chicory , 100% chicory)...

Better yet, make homemade coffee chicory ;). Opt for a suitable ground coffee and add a teaspoon of chicory. Thus, you will obtain a coffee chicory with the panache of coffee and the sweetness of chicory. You may even not regret your cups of coffee and swear by this coffee substitute.