Roasted Chicory Drink

Mug of some cozy roasted chicory

During mine and Brian's two-month working vacation in the countryside of southern France this past fall, we picked up a fun little habit of drinking chicory (this was in addition to the habit of drinking tea throughout the day, thanks to our British hosts Madeleine and Tony). Chicory quickly became my new thing. Neither Brian nor I are big coffee drinkers. We usually err on the side of yerba mate or an herbal tea if we need caffeine or a hot beverage. But now chicory has been incorporated in our drinking of tea, coffee, mate or even on its own. 


My journey to chicory discovery was a strange one. I am subscribed to celiac.com's celiac update journal, and one day it had an article describing how people with celiac disease on a gluten free diet often have reduced polysaccharides...whatever that means! So apparently probiotics aren't enough to get your gut in shape. You also need prebiotics to set up a happy home for the bacteria to flourish in and to keep the bad bacteria at bay. Apparently polysaccharides are those prebiotics and we gluten free peeps are likely to not be getting enough of them. 


So where the heck do I get these polysaccharides, aka the prebiotics for my probiotics? After a lot of online research I found that inulin is a soluble fiber that is a polysaccharide. So where do I get me some inulin? Apparently chicory is the most common source of inulin because of its extremely high density of inulin in its root. At first this didn't inspire me much, mostly because I knew nothing about chicory except that it rhymed with hickory dickory. But to my sheer amazement, I stumbled upon a jar of instant chicory (chicorée) in the teensy tiny market that was on the corner of our street in Tillac, France - a town of 300 people. This place carried less food than a gas station, yet it had chicory! I took it as a sign, and so, Brian and I started incorporating chicory into our morning routine with a bit of cinnamon and honey. 


Chicory has a roasted coffee-like flavor but to me is a bit more bitter and slightly earthy. It hails from southern Europe, and from it's French roots, it gained a popularity in New Orleans where it is mixed half and half with coffee. I have found that it has awesome effects on my digestive system, but keep in mind that its high fiber content can cause some gassy effects on those who aren't used to consuming it or much fiber for that matter. Chicory is also claimed to have other health benefits such as liver and blood cleansing, reducing the risk of intestinal cancer, aiding in calcium absorption, and has been used in treating a wide range of ailments from anemia to parasites. I have been drinking it because of my celiac disease, but it appears to have a slew of effects that can benefit nearly anyone. 


So, while chicory root is gluten free, the biggest caution to other gluten free people out there is that many chicory blends I've seen on the market also contain roasted barley - so watch out! I recommend looking for it in your local natural foods store and getting straight up grounded roasted chicory root. You can also order it online from stores like Mountain Rose Herbs or Frontier. 


Traditional Roasted Chicory  Root Recipe
The fun thing about chicory is that it is easy to make anyway you want it. It is prepared just as you would make coffee or loose leaf tea. Just steep the grounds in a coffee maker as you would coffee grounds or in a loose leaf tea strainer with hot water. The serving size is about 1 teaspoon, but I recommend easing into that amount at first to prevent gassiness. Steep for about 5-10 minutes and enjoy as you would coffee. Flavor with a little milk or cream, honey or maple syrup, cinnamon or cocoa, or a spoonful of sugar to help the chicory go down. 


Chicory Coffee Blend
If you want to start reducing your caffeine intake from your morning coffee or if you want a boost of caffeine with your chicory, you can try brewing half coffee half chicory. Just switch out a spoon of your coffee grounds with a spoon of chicory grounds and brew as usual. 

Chicory Tea with mint, cocoa, and black tea

Chicory Tea Blend
If you are more of a tea drinker than a coffee drinker, try adding 1/2 - 1 tsp of chicory grounds to your looseleaf tea. One of my chicory tricks is opening one of my favorite tea bags and pouring a little chicory in and then tying it back up with the string. Then just steep as usual. Add in some cinnamon, sweetener, and/or milk to cut the bitterness. I find it blends well with chai tea, black tea, and yerba mate. 


I'm working on my own line of chicory drinks to sell at our many local, year-round farmers markets here in San Diego. I also want to set up an online shopping cart so people can order it online. I'll be sure to keep you all posted, or feel free to contact me if you are interested in learning more or connecting over a cup o' chicory :) In the meantime, I am happy to share a few of my French inspired chicory drink recipes with you in honor of Gluten Free Wednesday's Gluten Free Beverage month. 

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