Roasted chicory roots taste similar to that of coffee, with the advantage of being caffeine-free. Chicory coffee can be consumed in addition to or as a substitute for traditional coffee. Originally from traditional French culture, over time it spread to Louisiana (a colony of France in North America) and is one of the specialties of New Orleans.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Chicory
Step 1. Get some chicory roots
You can buy them whole from the greengrocer or a shop specializing in the sale of spices, but you can also harvest the plant directly in a field. Chicory develops a beautiful purple-blue flower and can be found mainly along roads or in uncultivated meadows. You can also find the roots already roasted, ground and mixed with the classic coffee powder. If you can't find them in your city, you can easily find them online.
Step 2. Look for chicory in the meadows
Learn to identify it correctly so as not to risk bringing home the wrong plant. Chicory is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows along roadsides, in pastures, in uncultivated fields or near escarpments; it can be found in almost every area of Italy. The flowers are light blue, with shades that tend to lavender, and the petals are slightly ruffled at the tip. Dig up the roots carefully so as not to damage them.
- To prepare the coffee, first wash the roots to remove all traces of soil. Once clean, let them dry in the sun, placed on a dry cloth.
- Chicory blooms between the months of July and October. The flowers open only on sunny days. However, remember that the best time to harvest roots is between autumn and spring.
- The leaves and roots are the most appreciated and consumed parts of the plant. Technically, the flowers are also edible, but they have a bitter taste.
Step 3. Cut the roots with a sharp knife
You will need to make small pieces about a couple of centimeters long; they must be small in order to be able to toast quickly, but not tiny otherwise they will eventually burn. It is not necessary to peel the roots.
Step 4. Move on to the roasting phase
Arrange the roots cut into small pieces on a baking sheet, then toast them in the oven at 175 ° C until they turn a golden color. An intense aroma should spread in the kitchen, reminiscent of that of coffee. When the roots have reached the desired degree of roasting, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool.
Part 2 of 3: Mix the Chicory with the Coffee
Step 1. Grind the toasted chicory roots
Use a coffee grinder to turn them into a fine powder. If you intend to make a blend with coffee, use the same grind setting as the roasted coffee beans.
If you don't have a coffee grinder, try to chop them finely in another way, such as using a mortar and pestle
Step 2. Blend the chicory powder with the coffee powder
There is no correct dosage, it depends solely on your personal taste. Coffee contains caffeine, while chicory does not. Chicory generally has a slightly more acidic taste than coffee, but some people prefer it for this very reason. Experiment with different proportions to find the combination that best suits your palate.
- Maybe you just want to "chop" your coffee with a small amount of chicory because you like its flavor or maybe you just want the ground coffee to last longer. In these cases, you can try a chicory to coffee ratio of 1: 4 or 1: 5.
- If you are looking to seriously reduce your coffee consumption, try a chicory to coffee ratio of 1: 2 or 2: 3.
- You can also consider making a mixture based mostly on chicory. Let's say you want to enjoy the taste and warmth of a cup of coffee, but without experiencing the stimulating effects. If so, try a chicory to coffee ratio of 4: 1 or 5: 1.
Step 3. Make the chicory coffee
Proceed as you normally would, using a coffee maker, coffee maker or boiling water. Use the chicory and coffee blend instead of just the coffee powder. The timing and other technical details should be the same as when making standard coffee.
Consider drinking chicory coffee to give up on caffeine. Gradually increase the proportion of chicory in the mixture over several weeks, until it is mostly made up of the roots
Part 3 of 3: Using Chicory as a Coffee Substitute
Step 1. Prepare the chicory coffee for infusion
If you don't have a coffee grinder available, or if you prefer to crush or chop the roots by hand, bring 250 ml of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of chicory roots, pounded or chopped and toasted, then cover the saucepan with the lid. and let the infusion simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
You can double or triple the doses based on the amount of coffee you want to prepare
Step 2. Prepare the chicory coffee using the classic method
If you have roasted the roots and then ground them into powder with a coffee grinder, you can use a mocha, a coffee machine, a French coffee maker or whatever method you prefer. If you want, you can also use the infusion method described in the previous step.
Step 3. Drink the chicory coffee
Filter it, pour it into a cup and enjoy it in all its goodness! Chicory does not contain caffeine and it is for this reason that many people prefer this type of coffee over the classic one. It also has numerous therapeutic properties, for example it stimulates digestion, strengthens the immune system, is rich in antioxidants, reduces inflammation and regulates the heartbeat.
