Nutrition So chicory stays fresh

Chicory - fresh and crisp: In the dark he retains his noble paleness
For some palates, the bitter taste of chicory needs getting used to. And it is just the 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.

However, chicory today contains comparatively few bitter substances. The breeders have responded to the needs of consumers and developed milder varieties. While the bitter stalk had to be removed in the past, the vegetables can now be used almost completely in the kitchen. Only the root end is cut off.

In winter, salads from chicory plants with their high nutrient content are well suited as a supplement to the diet. (Image: Printemps / fotolia, com)

If the leaves are still too dry, add a teaspoon of sugar to the cooking water.
Chicory can be prepared in many ways. Mostly it comes raw as a salad on the table - combined with tangerines, apples, fennel, avocado or lamb's lettuce. This creates a wonderful balance to the bitterness. The herb-fresh vegetables also taste warm from the wok, on the tarte, in the risotto or au gratin from the oven. For a delicious side dish, the tender sprouts are cut into strips and steamed with a little butter and broth. Chicory is ideal for the slim line, as per 100 g only 16 kilocalories are included. At the same time, the leafy vegetables provide the body with valuable ingredients such as beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2 and C, folic acid and potassium.

From a botanical point of view, chicory is the scion of the chicory root, derived from the wild-growing chicory. The vegetable growers harvest the roots in autumn and temporarily store them in cold stores. In driftwings, they are then bathed in troughs with tempered nutrient solution until the tender sprouts grow within a few weeks. This happens in absolute darkness, so that no green chlorophyll forms and the leaves remain bright.

Chicory is available year round, but the main offer is from November to April. Most of the vegetables are imported from France, the Netherlands or Belgium. At the weekly market, there are often also domestic goods. Pay attention to freshness and quality when shopping. The leaves should be white with yellow tips and no wilted spots. Even specimens with green leaves are not a good choice, as they usually taste particularly bitter. In the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, the leafy vegetables are stable for a few days.
Heike Kreutz, bzfe