Chicory

Cichorium intybus
Chicore sauvage

Used as a medicinal and culinary plant since 4000 BC, chicory is found in grocery stores in various forms.

Properties and Uses

Culinary
Young leaves are harvested early in the spring and eaten in salads or like spinach. Their taste is similar to that of dandelions although somewhat more bitter. When grown without light (forcing method), their leaves are white and will not develop such bitterness. There are various types of chicory. Some are sold as lettuce in grocery stores (radicchio, endive and puntarelle). The roots of a hybrid variety are made into witloof (a type of Belgian endive), a close relative produced through forcing. The roots are used as a coffee substitute, although chicory does not have the same properties. It can be taken pure or mixed with coffee to balance its flavour and prevent the undesirable effects of coffee on the stomach. Finally, its roots contain inulin, a compound extracted and used to give flavour to processed foods.

Other Uses
Rabbits and other game animals are fond of chicory. It is used in certain countries as a fodder plant. The leaves produce a blue colouring, while the root can dye wood a pinkish shade.

Habitat
Chicory is found everywhere on inhabited and fallow land, along roadsides, in ditches and on embankments. It prefers fine-particle calcareous soils or rocky, neutral or slightly alkaline soils. It tolerates dryness and grows in full sun.

Market
Industrial Demand
The wild plant market is larger in Europe, where Germany and France are major distributors. Some Quebec herbalists deal with European distributors for their plant supplies because of their high volume, product standardization and competitive prices. Although abundant in our region and used for various purposes, chicory is relatively unknown to Quebecers, so the market for this plant is still quite marginal. In 2003, the retail price for chicory was 75/30 g ($25/kg) and the wholesale price was $15.50 per kg. For herbal tea uses, particular attention must be paid to harvesting and the portion of the plant that is used. In 2003, the price for chicory roots already cut and ready to be bagged was $1.55/kg (imported from Germany),

Medicinal
Chicory root is used in various popular remedies. A diuretic, it helps purify the blood and liver, if taken for long enough. Chicory is said to be effective against rheumatism and to act like a tonic for the stomach and intestinal tract. It also stimulates the appetite. The leaves and roots are generally consumed in herbal tea form (decoction).

Ornamental
Chicory is sometimes used in horticulture.

Fact Sheets Gasp Peninsulas Non-Timber Forest Products

while that of organic roots was $9.09/kg (imported from France). The major herb markets are divided between organic agriculture and conventional agriculture. No distinction has been made between wild and cultivated plants to date. The cultivation of chicory begins when wild supplies can no longer support commercial exploitation, or when harvesting is less profitable.

Chef Yannick Ouellet, a chef and consultant in the Gasp Peninsula, can provide more information on culinary uses of chicory. He can be contacted at yannick.ouellet@globetrotter.net. For more information about medicinal uses, Gasp Peninsula herbalists can be helpful. The Union des producteurs agricoles can provide their contact information ((418) 392-4466). The Coop de solidarit Rocher-Perc in Val-dEspoir is also a good reference [(418) 782-2777]. As for buyers, those wishing to find out more can contact herbalists in the Gasp Peninsula and throughout Quebec. As previously mentioned, the market is limited and not very well organized in Quebec for the time being. It is strongly recommended that a thorough market study be conducted before starting chicory production. With respect to the herbal tea market, international competition is stiff and has a major influence on prices. Large production volumes might be required to achieve competitiveness.

Harvesting Methods
Leaves intended for the herbal tea market are harvested by hand, just before they come into full bloom. Chicory to be used in salads or as a spinach substitute must be cut like lettuce, at the bottom, preferably before the floral stems begin to grow. For witloof or chicory coffee production, roots are harvested in the fall, when the weather is dry. They must be cleaned, dried, oven roasted then crushed before infusing.

Product Quality
Leaves
Chicory leaves must be consumed rapidly, because they will not keep for very long. They must be kept in a cool location, such as a refrigerator crisper. It is best to clean, dry and wrap them in a damp cloth. The leaves must be allowed to breathe, so they should not be placed in an airtight container. Chicory leaf bitterness varies depending on the variety and its growing conditions.

Domestication
Chicory is grown according to the use for which it is intended (salad, witloof, coffee substitute or herbal tea). For herbal tea purposes, wild plants are found in adequate amounts in the Gasp Peninsula. It can also be grown easily by seedlings. In late spring, seeds should be sown in full sun, in fine, previously raked soil. Seeds must be sown 30 cm apart and 3 mm deep and watered regularly. If grown for its flowers, chicory can also be planted at the end of the summer to ensure early blooming the following summer. Chicory grown for witloof production is harder and more demanding. Roots are stored in a cool, damp place for a period of time, then forced. Forcing consists in causing the root to bud so that it produces an endive. Web sites dealing with this production are listed in the Useful References section below. The various uses for chicory yield involve many farming methods that are outside the purview of this fact sheet. Information on farming methods for various chicory varieties can also be found on the Internet. Note that Europe is ahead of North America in terms of chicory production.

Roots
Roots are dried only a few days after harvesting, so they retain their properties. They are cut, dried and roasted and sold in powder, liquid or extract form. For more freshness, roots can be kept in pieces and ground right before use.

Contacts and Buyers

Chicory root coffee can be bought in some natural food stores, such as LIntgrale in New Richmond, in the Gasp. The coffee sold there comes from Europe (France and Poland). Chicory leaves are also sold there.

Fact Sheets Gasp Peninsulas Non-Timber Forest Products

Useful References
FLEURBEC. 1978. Plantes sauvages des villes et des champs, volume 1. Guide didentification, Fleurbec, Quebec, 273 p. FLEURBEC. 1981. Plantes sauvages comestibles. Guide didentification, Fleurbec, Quebec, 167 p. FORTIN, D. 1983. Lherbier mdicinal, album dethnobotanique qubcoise. Qubec Science diteur, Sillery, 118 p. MARIE-VICTORIN, Frre. 1995. Flore laurentienne, 3e dition revue par E. Rouleau et mise jour par L. Brouillet, S. G. Hay et I. Goulet (en collaboration avec M. Blondeau, J. Cayouette et J. Labrecque pour limpression de 1997). Les Presses de lUniversit de Montral, Montreal, 1,083 p. SCHNEIDER, A. 1999. Plantes sauvages mdicinales : les reconnatre, les cueillir, les utiliser. Les ditions de lHomme, 302 p.

This initiative was made possible with the participation of Canada Economic Development and Natural Resources Canada.

Personal Communications
CUSSON, Claude. TRANS-HERBe, Montreal, October 2003. HERBORISTERIE DESJARDINS. Montreal, October 2003.

Web Sites
AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA (AAFC). The Worldwide Gourmet: http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/vegetables/sal ads/chicory.htm CENTRE AGRICOLE BETTERAVES CHICORES. Guide de bonnes pratiques en culture de chicore industrielle (PDF document): http://www.kbivb.be/fr/pdf/guidebonnespratiquesChicore .pdf PURDUE UNIVERSITY, CENTER FOR NEW CROPS AND PLANT PRODUCTS. WITLOOF CHICORY. A Nnew Vegetable Crop in the United States: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings19 90/v1-414.html THOMPSON AND MORGAN. On-line seed and plant store: http://seeds.thompsonmorgan.com/us/product/7363/1?SA=1100

Fact Sheets Gasp Peninsulas Non-Timber Forest Products