Chicory

The chicory is definitely not among the most popular salads for children and even some adults can do without this leafy green from the daisy family. Nevertheless one should think twice about biting into some bitter chicory. It is exactly those bitter substances that make the vegetables so valuable from a nutritional point of view.

They stimulate the metabolism and gastric juice production, so that the vegetables are easily digestible.  At the same time, the leafy vegetables provide the body with valuable nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2 and C, folic acid and potassium.

sugars in g/100g*
fructose sucrose glucose fructose total**
0,71 0,45 1,28 0,94

Good to know

Like carrots, chicory roots are laid out in greenhouses and covered in sand in autumn. From the axils of the previously shortened leaves and from the terminal bud then drift during the winter 15 to 20 centimeters long and up to 5 centimeters thick pointed solid buds. These are pale and delicate due to the cover. Sliced, the buds provide a raw salad that tastes more or less bitter due to intybin. But they can also be steamed, boiled in salt water or gently sautéed as a vegetable. In France, the Netherlands and Belgium, where the chicory originally comes from, they are commonly stewed.

For individuals with an average tolerance about 100g makes a good test.

*amount of sugar depends on variety and ripeness
**The value of 'fructose total' composes of the pure fructose and 1/2 of the sucrose.

source: BZfE, aid.de