Chicory. What kind of drink is this? Where did he come from? Useful or not? I want to admit that less than ten years ago, the word “chicory” for me meant nothing more than a weed on a country street. Some weeds you just hate, but I like this one: it’s not prickly, not stinging, it blooms with beautiful blue flowers all summer long... And I really love this color, I even live in a blue room. In fact, there is another meaning of this word. This is the name of a hot drink that replaces coffee. It so happened that I had to give up morning coffee, and indeed this wonderful drink forever. Soon, one of the “comrades in misfortune” told me about another morning drink - chicory, it has the same name as the plant. To be honest, I didn’t even know about such a drink. Finding chicory is quite simple; you just need to go to the store and look at the shelves with tea, coffee and cocoa. True, sometimes chicory is sold in specialized departments of large supermarkets: “Products for diabetics” or “Products for dietary nutrition.” This is how I was introduced to this great new morning drink. I tried it and didn’t regret it.
For almost ten years now I have been starting my day with chicory. I believe that I have the right to share my personal experience.
As proof of our friendship with chicory, I present a photo. On it you can see several varieties of this drink that are currently present in my house.
It turns out that people have known about chicory and its beneficial and healing properties for several centuries. At first it was noticed that domestic animals willingly eat it, then people began to eat chicory. In Russia, chicory was first specially grown in the Rostov district of the Yaroslavl province at the end of the 18th century, where it is still grown. In recent years, chicory plantings have appeared in Ivanovo, Voronezh, Tambov and other regions of Russia. Chicory is made from the roots of the plant of the same name.
Chicory roots are dried, fried, crushed and using special technologies a natural or soluble product is obtained.
Photo from the Internet
A chicory drink can completely replace coffee , it can be used as an additive to coffee and mixed in arbitrary proportions (some do this). Coffee with the addition of chicory is often found in stores. I have never mixed coffee and chicory or bought such a mix. I had to use it, but only “voluntarily - forcibly.” In Soviet times, many cafes and canteens offered a drink called “coffee,” but in fact, it was a mixture of coffee and chicory.
Of course, chicory does not have the same aroma as natural coffee and is a little bitter, but it has many undeniable advantages over coffee.
The benefits of chicory are quite great ; it has long been recognized among the people; many recipes have been preserved that include chicory. If desired, anyone can find them and test them for themselves, but I only use it as a drink. The value of chicory roots is that they contain inulin, vitamins, many mineral elements, pectins, and bitterness. Chicory does not contain caffeine (unlike coffee) and does not have a stimulating effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, so it is safe for people suffering from heart disease, sleep disorders and hypertension. Chicory has a beneficial effect on the nervous system - it calms, relieves attacks of tachycardia (tested on myself), dilates blood vessels, lowers blood sugar, improves metabolism and is an excellent general strengthening agent. The presence of inulin (a natural polymer of fructose) in chicory makes it an indispensable product for diabetics. It is also useful for all digestive organs.
What types of chicory are there?
There are several commercial chicory products available depending on how the roots are processed.
- Ground and roasted chicory
- Roasted chicory pieces in bags
- Instant chicory
- Liquid chicory – extract from the roots of the plant
In stores you can also find packages of instant chicory with various additives:
- chicory with rosehip extract;
- chicory with blueberry extract;
- chicory with ginseng extract;
- chicory with chamomile extract and others.
In the photo you can see different varieties of chicory, including ground fried chicory from a bag.
You can prepare fresh natural ground chicory at home by grinding pieces of fried chicory in a coffee grinder to obtain a delicious, invigorating drink.
Preparing a drink from instant chicory is no different from making coffee and is indicated on the package.
The variety of flavoring additives is amazing: chicory with vanilla, with cream, with cocoa, with caramel and others. In addition to those listed, there are a great many other additives: sea buckthorn, mint, hawthorn, Jerusalem artichoke, lemon, viburnum, chokeberry, raspberry... you can’t count them all! I haven’t seen many in our stores, but I know that you can choose and order chicory on the Internet with any additive you like. I don’t do this; I have enough of those varieties that can be easily and simply bought in Volgograd.
Common Questions
How much chicory can you consume? – The daily intake of the drink is 3-4 cups (600-800 ml). If it is necessary to consume the plant juice, then it is mixed with vegetable or fruit juices or milk. Drinking juice in its pure form is dangerous.
What can you combine instant chicory with? – On supermarket shelves you can buy a product with additives, or you can combine the components of the drink yourself. For example, if taken together with rose hips, it improves immunity, lowers the cholesterol index, and helps in treating colds. In combination with blueberries it has an anti-inflammatory effect, and with ginseng it normalizes the activity of brain cells, enhances potency and libido, and is a good preventive measure for oncological pathologies.
How to prepare raw materials yourself? – The above-ground part of the plant must be collected during the flowering period and in dry sunny weather. You need to harvest no more than 30 cm of the top part of the plant. The rhizome must be dug up in late autumn or early spring. After the root is removed from the ground, it is necessary to cut off the above-ground part of it and rinse it well, then lay it out in one layer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqqkKFuAWbM
Is it possible to add milk to the drink? – To increase the amount of calcium, you can add milk. This composition is very useful for the growth of children or for elderly people with calcium deficiency, and is a prevention of osteoporosis.
Chicory with blueberry extract
The beneficial properties of chicory are enhanced by blueberry extract. Doctors say that blueberries accelerate the renewal of the retina, enhance visual acuity, and reduce eye fatigue. In addition, it helps with anemia, kidney stones, skin diseases and many other diseases, and reduces blood sugar levels. The technology for producing blueberry extract almost completely preserves the beneficial properties of fresh berries. Natural soluble blueberry extract gives the drink a special pleasant taste and extraordinary aroma.
If you drink tea, you will live more years
Almost every person enjoys pampering themselves and their guests with tea; this is already a tradition. A certain type of tea has its own medicinal properties and can be consumed to improve health and for medicinal purposes . When used correctly (without “cookies”), the drink most often brings cheerfulness, uplifting mood and various benefits for the body:
- Drinking freshly brewed water regularly produces large amounts of antioxidants ( catechins ).
- Bones are strengthened.
- The likelihood of heart disease and a heart attack is reduced, vitamin P strengthens blood vessels.
- Cholesterol and blood pressure decrease, and with age, the level of “good” HDL cholesterol decreases more slowly.
- The risk of developing diabetes is reduced and metabolism improves.
- The immune system is supported.
- The anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols and catechins in tea are beneficial.
- The presence of tannins helps with gastrointestinal upset.
- Some teas ( oolong ) help cleanse the body, lose weight and break down fat.
Freshly brewed natural favorite drink without toxins is pleasant and beneficial for good health . Everything is good in moderation, and it is better to alternate drinks. The use of herbal teas and infusions is a separate extensive topic.
How much do different varieties and packages of chicory cost?
We all know that prices, in our unstable times, are also volatile. They depend on the area of the city where the retail outlet is located: the further the store is from the center of Volgograd, the lower the price of a package of chicory ; on the size of the store: the smaller the store, the higher the price and so on.
Therefore, I will give several examples of the price of chicory, just for information, and only those packages that I bought myself in stores in the Sovetsky district of Volgograd. All prices are as of the beginning of April 2016:
instant chicory - 100 grams costs 70 rubles (in some places - more than 100 rubles);
instant chicory - 85 grams costs - 68 rubles; (packages weighing 100 g and 85 g are located next to each other on the same shelf, but the manufacturers are different)
chicory with rose hip extract, chicory with blueberry extract – 85 grams costs 50 rubles;
chicory with ginseng extract -100 grams costs 50 rubles;
chicory with chamomile extract – 100 grams costs 50 rubles.
Surprisingly, packages of chicory with various additives cost the same - 50 rubles. How can the price of a package containing rose hips or ginseng or chamomile be the same? Perhaps it is simply written that ginseng is present, but in fact it is not there? Let's leave this issue to the conscience of the manufacturers. I would like to note that the tastes of chicory with additives vary. I especially like chicory with blueberry extract; it differs from others in the presence of light sourness, which goes well with the natural pleasant bitterness of the drink.
"Coffee" for pregnant and nursing mothers
Interestingly, doctors consider it beneficial to use chicory instead of coffee for pregnant and nursing mothers. During pregnancy, drinking coffee is not advisable, and the taste of chicory is similar to the taste of coffee, but has no harmful effects on the body of the expectant mother and child. Chicory is recommended for pregnant women to remove waste and toxins from the body, to cleanse the blood, as a means of reducing nausea and normalizing the mental and emotional state of a woman.
Some young mothers cannot live without coffee, and it has a negative effect on the baby during breastfeeding because it contains a large amount of caffeine. And again the “golden root” - chicory - comes to the rescue.
Chicory can be used during breastfeeding as a remedy against inflammation. It helps restore a nursing mother’s intestines and stomach after childbirth and has a positive effect on the baby’s intestinal function. It is also one of the best remedies for the immune system.
Main differences between drinks
Only caffeine can wake up the body, increase concentration and increase performance, but after half an hour its effect decreases. Chicory does not invigorate you as sharply as coffee, but provides an even boost of energy for several hours.
- On the subject: Coffee drink made from barley, benefits and harm
Among other differences identified:
- Taste. Coffee is a symphony of aromas, a pleasant aftertaste and additional notes. The balance and richness of the drink is an undeniable advantage of Arabica and Robusta beans. The taste and smell of chicory is not for everyone, since it bears little resemblance to natural espresso.
- Benefit. Coffee irritates the gastric mucosa and is persistently addictive. Chicory contains inulin, which feeds bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, improving the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Calorie content. Coffee is better than chicory for weight loss, since its energy value is 2 kcal per cup. Although the root of the plant is considered a dietary product, a serving of the drink contains 23 kcal.
In terms of the presence of vitamins and microelements, chicory is healthier than coffee, but its specific taste does not allow it to be called a full-fledged espresso substitute.
Uses of chicory in other areas
Such a wonderful plant as chicory is widely used in medicine. Due to its unique chemical composition, it has anti-inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic effects; heals wounds, soothes, lowers blood sugar levels.
In folk medicine, all parts of the plant are used: leaves, stem, flowers and, of course, root. There is an ocean of different recipes on the Internet. But we must not forget that the independent use of herbal preparations for medicinal purposes is unacceptable.
We know chicory as a coffee substitute. But nowadays in other countries, it is very popular as a tasty seasoning and a healthy product in dietary nutrition. Coffee with the addition of crushed roasted chicory root has long been one of the favorite drinks of Europeans. Chicory is baked with cheese or with apples; a cold drink is prepared from chicory root with the addition of honey, lemon and apple juice. The stems and leaves of a special variety of chicory (salad) are used in various salads, and young shoots of the plant are boiled or baked in dough.
Chicory is widely used in the confectionery industry for the preparation of baked goods, cakes, candies, and as a natural coloring agent.
Chicory is used not only for preparing healthy and tasty dishes, but also for cleaning household dishes.
Chicory is also used in cosmetology: as part of cosmetics it improves hair structure, strengthens hair roots, protects hair from loss; makes facial skin healthy and beautiful, has an anti-inflammatory and drying effect, helps against acne, rashes and blackheads.
Recommendations
Instead of aimlessly drinking teabags, a cup of healthy coffee substitute drink is much healthier, if there are no contraindications. For people of a more mature age, it is recommended, if appropriate, to abandon green and strong black tea, and take a closer look at chicory.
You definitely need to take into account your health status and first try the drink in small doses , having studied in detail all the nuances associated with the choice. When consuming, you should observe the expiration date of the product (for tea no more than a year). Brew and infuse tea for no more than 5 minutes , do not use it 3 hours after drinking tea, limit the number of cups drunk (4), follow all recommendations for individual types and varieties.
Chicory is especially useful for diabetics and hypertensive patients, no more than 1 cup per day . Drinking a warm drink is always a good idea, you just need to follow the dosage, preparation, consumption and storage rules.
Only a specific person who understands his body and listens to its reaction and the recommendations of the treating doctor can answer the question unambiguously for himself, having consciously filtered out what is needed. So from the grains, read and selected properties, from personal experience, you will compose your own answer. Enjoy your drinking, thoughtful and correct determination of the balance between the “tops and roots”!
