Chicory a Favourite in Food and Coffee

As the sunlight becomes weaker, it is not only the early risers that can catch a glimpse of the refreshing large blue chicory flower. This flower is reminiscent of the daisy and is especially plentiful after the rain.

The chicory is also known as the coffee weed, as many famous coffees in New Orleans are flavored with this plant. It is also used with several salad greens to add a tangy taste.

The flower has gained weed status in Canada and the United States as it is not a native plant. The flower derives from the eastern Mediterranean region, and it has been used with foods since the Roman times and ancient Egypt. Some European farmers have been cultivating it for food for thousands of years now.

The agricultural variant is grown for the roots these days, as they are what give coffee its flavor.

Though Chicory is a non-native plant, it has found its place and naturalized, not causing much damage or being invasive. The flower prefers soils that have some limestone…

[Via: wickedlocal.com]