Generality
The generic term chicory identifies a group of herbaceous plants belonging to the family of Asteraceae and to the Genre Cichorium.
In common parlance, the species that is usually associated with the term "chicory" is the Cichorium intybus L., better known as catalonia or common chicory; however, this is certainly not the only species of the genus Cichorium exploited in human nutrition (think for example of C. endive including the var. latifolium or escarole and var. crispum or Belgian endive). Furthermore, of the Cichorium intybus there are numerous varieties and subspecies (spontaneous or selected), even very different from each other from the morphological point of view (the leaves differ significantly in shape, size and color); among these we mention the groups of leaf chicory And root chicory.
Hints of cultivation
Chicory prefers fertile, deep, fresh and well-worked soils; the seedbed for green-leaved chicory must be prepared in spring, while that for radicchio between the end of May and July. The transplanting of seedlings born and developed in the nursery is very effective, as long as they are placed at a distance of 20-25cm. "one from the other." Chicory watering should be done without wetting the leaves. Harvesting should be done when the size based on the variety is reached.
Variety of chicory
Leaf chicory
- Green-leaved chicory: variety for fresh consumption characterized by large, more or less enveloped leaves; in this group we remember the Casalese sugar loaf chicory, the Wild chicory from the field, the Spadona chicory for cutting, the Zuccherina di Trieste chicory and the Bionda cutting chicory.
- Chicory with colored leaves: winter varieties universally known as "red radicchio"; they are mainly used fresh in salads. Among them we remember the red radicchio of Chioggia, the red radicchio of Treviso (early and late), the red radicchio of Verona, the variegated radicchio of Castelfranco and the red radicchio of Lusia.
- Chicory from leaves and stems: varieties to be cooked or cataloged; there are varieties with smooth and narrow leaves (Pugliese or Brindisina chicory), with jagged leaves (Abruzzese chicory), with wide and whole leaves (Chioggia chicory) and compact head with white and crunchy shoots (Galatina chicory).
Root chicory (or with thick roots)
- we remember the Chiavari or Genovese root, the Chicory from Root (used to prepare coffee substitutes), the Chicory of Soncino (Scorzamare), the Chicory of Magdeburg and the Chicory Witloof (obtained by forcing the endive or Belgian endive, also takes the name of Brussels chicory).
By virtue of the wide heterogeneity that distinguishes the genus of chicory, ONLY those that (in popular language) are associated with this name will be described below: field chicory (specifically described in the article Catalonian chicory - asparagus chicory) And cut chicory.
Nutritional characteristics
Chicories are therefore herbaceous plants with a more or less bitter taste which, from a gastronomic point of view, can be eaten raw or cooked. They all have an excellent vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, dietary fiber and water content. The chicories to be consumed mainly raw provide a greater supply of live and active vitamins, while the cooked ones (more digestible and requiring larger portions) have a more intense effect on the modulation of absorption and on intestinal peristalsis.
Herbal applications and phytotherapeutic properties of chicory are listed in this article.
Nutritional composition of Chicory - Reference values of the INRAN Food Composition Tables
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