The basis of "Muckefuck" - helpful for irritable stomach and delicious as a salad
The perennial chicory is a wild relative of endive. It blooms blue, less often white, in summer from July to September. The flowers open in the morning, follow the sun, and close again in the early afternoon. Chicory is a very old medicinal plant used to strengthen the stomach. The first records were found on Egyptian papyrus scrolls. The well-known "Muckefuck" (French for "fake coffee") is also made from its root. Medicinal properties: Teas made from chicory are often recommended for irritable stomach and loss of appetite. Tea: Pour 150 ml of boiling water over 2 g of dried chicory leaves and roots and strain after 10 minutes. For loss of appetite, drink a cup half an hour before a meal; for digestive problems, drink it after a meal. Tea mixture: Pour 500 ml of hot water over 2 tsp of chicory, 2 tsp of dandelion, and 1 tsp of peppermint and let it steep for 3 minutes. In the kitchen: The leaves are a tangy addition to wild herb salads when eaten raw, and when cooked, they are suitable for soups and vegetable side dishes. Radicchio and chicory are "only" cultivated varieties of chicory. Chicory coffee: Cut the root into small pieces and dry them in the oven at a moderate temperature. Then roast the small pieces slowly in a pan without adding any fat. Now you can grind the roasted root pieces and brew the powder like regular coffee.
Natural habitat: Chicory is native to Europe and Western Asia.
