Chicory Coffee

I finally got around to collecting and roasting some chicory root to try as a coffee substitute. I ground the roasted root and brewed some up . . . while it was "brewing" (I actually steeped the ground root in water for a while then poured it through a coffee filter.) I sat down at the computer and did a bit more research. It turns out that one of the biggest benefits of including chicory in your diet is the large amounts of inulin it contains. Inulin, a prebiotic, is a soluble fiber that helps to feed the healthy bacteria (probiotics) in your intestines! After reading list after list of health benefits that directly pertain to me, particularly the part that showed it is very good at helping to regulate blood glucose in diabetics, I was even more excited to try it!

As I sit here to write this post I am enjoying my fresh brewed cup of chicory coffee - and I do mean enjoying! It is not only palatable but actually GOOD! And I am drinking it black, something I cannot do with real coffee. I gave up sugar in my coffee almost a year ago but I still have it "double cream." This morning I had no milk/cream (oops, forgot to stop at the store after getting home from the lake last night!!) so I decided I might as well try it the healthiest way - without anything else added to it. It is really good. Just about the same amount of bitterness as real coffee but with a hint of sweetness and flavour that is uniquely chicory. I think I could easily give up the coffee (and the cream!) if I have this as an alternative. As an added bonus it reportedly helps to suppress hunger and thereby lead to weight loss . . . I guess I need to go out foraging again!

This is chicory in bloom - it can be found along pretty much any roadway! (Photo credit - http://www.freeherbpictures.com/chicory-herb-pictures.htm)



Roasted and ground up in my coffee/spice grinder



And the fresh cup of "coffee"