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What is wild chicory?
Wild chicory or common chicory is an edible herbaceous plant very widespread and used throughout the Italian territory.
Typically bitter in taste, it is highly appreciated as a field herb or cooked herb, especially in the culinary tradition of central Italy - where it is often mixed with other edible herbs - dandelion, watercress, spinach, chard or chard etc. - it also takes the name of "herbs "or" cooked herb ".
Of the family Asteraceae and Genus Cichorium, that of the chicory is actually an extremely large group of vegetables, which contains numerous botanical varieties. Suffice it to say that, in addition to the classic Roman chicory and chicory, also very apparently different cultivars such as endivia, Belgian witloof and all types of radicchio belong to the same category. It is therefore not surprising that there are actually different types of wild chicory, among which the most widespread are the so-called wild radicchio - with a mainly elongated and roundish leaf, with a thin root - and grunts or rugni - with a jagged leaf and a more fleshy root system.
Wild chicory is defined as such since it grows in the wild; also known as field chicory, it is in fact available in all the green grassy areas - that is in the meadows - of Mediterranean Europe but not only. It is mainly harvested in spring and autumn, when the leaves are more tender, preferring the younger shoots - small or medium in size and without hair. If placed in the shade of large trees or bushes, on soft and draining soils, it is generally more tender and less bitter.
From a nutritional point of view, wild chicory belongs to the VI and VII fundamental group of foods - fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A and vitamin C. It has a very low energy contribution, almost negligible, while it makes use of excellent concentrations of fiber - many of which soluble, such as inulin - water and certain minerals; there are also significant concentrations of anti-nutritional agents.
Wild chicory is suitable for most diets. It has no major contraindications and can be used safely as a side dish - whether raw, when very young, but mainly cooked by boiling and / or sautéed - or ingredient for elaborate recipes - filling of filled pasta, tortillas, roasts, sauce for first courses etc.
Nutritional Properties
Nutritional properties of wild chicory
As anticipated, the wild chicory is not precisely framed in the VI or in the VII fundamental group of foods, as it contains both provitamin A (RAE - retinol equivalents), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Wild chicory has a very low caloric intake. Energy is supplied mainly by carbohydrates, followed by small amounts of proteins and irrelevant lipids. Peptides have a low biological value, ie they do not contain - in the right quantities and proportions - the essential amino acids of the human protein model. Carbohydrates consist entirely of soluble molecules - fructose monosaccharides and glucose. Fatty acids are, in theory, predominantly unsaturated.
Wild chicory contains many dietary fibers, most of which are soluble; the amount of the soluble / insoluble distribution and the percentage of the distribution is however not known, but only that among the soluble ones there is above all inulin.
Free of cholesterol, it does not even contain the molecules mainly responsible for scientifically diagnosable food intolerances, such as gluten, lactose and histamine. Wild chicory is poor in phenylalanine and purines. However, it has some anti-nutritional agents, mainly consisting of phytic acid and its (phytate) derivatives, which however decrease significantly after cooking.
As for vitamins, wild chicory has excellent concentrations of retinol equivalent (RAE - provitamin A), mainly consisting of carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, and considerable levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). However, it especially astonishes the level of vitamin K; vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) is also very important. The levels of folate and pantothenic acid (vit B5) are also far from negligible.
With regard to mineral salts, on the other hand, the levels of manganese, potassium, magnesium and calcium are appreciable, although it must be specified that most of these can be lost in dilution in the cooking water; for this, it would be advisable to cook the wild steamed chicory. Calcium also may not be bioavailable; in fact, in the raw vegetable it remains linked to the anti-nutritional factors that prevent it from being absorbed.
There is a fair concentration of phytotherapeutic molecules of non- vitaminic origin, such as polyphenols - antioxidants.
| Wild Chicory | |
| Nutritious | Quantity' |
| water | - g |
| Protein | 1.7 g |
| Lipids | 0.3 g |
| Saturated fatty acids | - g |
| Monounsaturated Fatty Acids | - g |
| Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids | - g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| TOT Carbohydrates | 4.7 g |
| Starch / Glycogen | - g |
| Soluble Sugar | - g |
| Food fiber | 4.0 g |
| of which soluble | - g |
| of which insoluble | - g |
| Power | 55.0 kcal |
| Sodium | 45.0 mg |
| Potassium | 420.0 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg |
| Football | 100.0 mg |
| Phosphorus | 47.0 mg |
| Magnesium | 30.0 mg |
| Manganese | 0.429 mg |
| Zinc | 0.42 mg |
| Copper | - mg |
| Selenium | - mcg |
| Thiamine or vitamin B1 | 0.06 mg |
| Riboflavin or vitamin B2 | 0.10 mg |
| Niacin or vitamin PP | 0.50 mg |
| Vitamin B5 | 0.159 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.105 mg |
| folate | 110.0 mcg |
| Vitamin B12 | - mcg |
| Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid | 24.00 mg |
| Vitamin A or RAE | 286.0 mcg |
| of which beta carotene | - mcg |
| of which uteine zexanthin | - mcg |
| Vitamin D | - mcg |
| Vitamin K | 297.6 mcg |
| Vitamin E or Alpha Tocopherol | 2.26 mg |
Diet
Wild chicory in the diet
Wild chicory, like most foods belonging to the category - leafy vegetables - lends itself to almost all diets. Poor in sugar and energy, it has few contraindications in the diet for overweight, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia.
The dietary fibers contained in it - especially in the root, which provides almost 20% of the inulin mass - perform many beneficial functions for the body. First and foremost, properly associated with water - of which wild chicory is rich - especially those soluble like inulin, the fibers can:
- increase the mechanical gastric stimulation of satiety
- modulate nutritional absorption - reducing the insulin glycemic surge and hindering the absorption and reabsorption of cholesterol and bile salts
- prevent or treat constipation / constipation.
This last aspect, essential for the health of the intestine, contributes to considerably reducing the chances of colon carcinogenesis, but also of many other discomforts such as: hemorrhoids, anal fissures and anal prolapse, diverticulosis and diverticulitis, etc. It should also be remembered that soluble fibers constitute a nutritional substrate for intestinal bacterial flora; maintaining the trophism of the microbiota, whose metabolism releases important nutritional factors for the mucosa, the health of the large intestine is further promoted.
Did you know that ...
In dry weight, fresh chicory root contains: 68% inulin, 14% sucrose, 5% cellulose, 6% protein, 4% ash and 3% of other compounds. The dried chicory root extract contains, by weight, about 98% inulin and 2% of other compounds. Fresh chicory root can contain from 13 to 23% of inulin, in total weight.
Provitamins A, vitamin C, vitamin E, polyphenols and other phytoelements have an important antioxidant role. In addition to counteracting the action of free radicals - guilty of cellular aging - these nutritional elements are considered useful in the treatment of various metabolic disorders. Vitamin K, on the other hand, is an essential anti-haemorrhagic factor. Folate is necessary for the formation of nucleic acids, a very important process during gestation. Vitamin B5, on the other hand, is a coenzymatic factor.
The richness of water, potassium and magnesium helps to improve the body's hydro-saline balance - which becomes precarious above all with increasing sweating, for example in the case of intense and prolonged sports - and supports the pharmacological treatment of hypertension primary arterial. Water and minerals are two nutritional factors that are often lacking even in old age. Manganese, on the other hand, has important functions as a metal-enzymatic constituent and an enzymatic activation.
Wild chicory has no contraindications for: celiac disease, lactose intolerance, histamine intolerance, phenylketonuria and hyperuricemia.
In the event of pregnancy it is inadvisable to eat raw wild chicory.
It has no limitations in the vegetarian and vegan diet - even raw food - the same applies to philosophies and / or religions of all kinds.
The average portion of wild chicory is 100-200 g (about 20-40 kcal).
Kitchen
How to cook wild chicory
Wild chicory is one of the most consumed wild herbs in Italy, especially in areas facing the sea; it is widely used in the Marche, Liguria and Puglia regions. It is also consumed regularly in India, especially in the southern area, in Albania and in Greece.
Wild chicory can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. In the first case it is essential to seize it still young, when the leaves are light and bright green, with no down and tender texture; generally at this stage they have a slightly bitter and sweet taste. For cooking instead, which must be by boiling and / or sautéing - with oil and garlic - larger leaves can also be used; it is however not advisable to pick the plants already provided with down.
Did you know that ...
The boiling water of wild chicory, if free of salt, can be used as a mild fertilizer for potted plants.
Wild chicory can be cultured with the root or without. The grunts, for example, have a fleshy and pleasant palate root system, but require careful cleaning from the earth around them.
Did you know that ...
It is advisable to collect wild chicory away from roads, possibly in places not affected by any form of pollution other than the "medium" one, which, as we know, affects the atmosphere, the dust carried by the wind and even the rain water. - or from potentially high concentrations of pathogens - bacteria, viruses, parasites etc.
Cooked, wild chicory can be an ingredient for more elaborate recipes of all kinds. As an alternative to spinach, squeezed and minced, it can color fresh pasta with green. Mixed with cheese, spices, ricotta or potato instead, it enriches the filling of stuffed pasta, lasagna, cannelloni and crepes; can be a sauce for dry pasta. Many also use it to stuff roasts, but probably the most common use is in savory pies or quiche.
Chicory ( Cichorium intybus var. Sativum ) has long been cultivated in Europe as a coffee substitute; more precisely, the roasted and ground root was used. Read also: Chicory coffee.
Some breweries still use toasted chicory to give flavor to stouts - which should have a taste that vaguely resembles coffee.
Description
Description of wild chicory
Wild chicory is an annual herbaceous plant, with green leaves that are generally clear, tender and round if small, and darker, tenacious, generally covered with down and jagged when fully ripe. The appearance may vary considerably depending on the species.
During flowering, the wild chicory always presents lance-shaped leaves, of irregular shape, hard consistency and more or less hairy surface; the average length is 30 cm. These are pedunculated by the radical apparatus and never joined together. The flowers are 2 to 4 cm wide and usually have lavender, pale blue or light gold, more rarely white or pink; of the two rows of involucral bracts, the inner one is longer and erect, while the external one is shorter and more collected. It blooms from July to October. The achenes are devoid of pappus.
Botany
Elements of wild chicory botany
To tackle the subject exhaustively, we should dwell on all the types of wild chicory normally harvested for food purposes; obviously, this is a topic that goes beyond the scope of this article, which is why we will only mention a few generalities.
Wild chicory belongs to the botanical family Asteraceae and Genus Cichorium ; species, subspecies and varieties are very numerous. They grow in the wild at variable altitudes - from sea level to high altitude - on any type of soil, compact or draining, exposed to sun or shade, with abundant or scarce water levels. It can therefore be deduced that these are very rustic, resistant and tenacious herbaceous plants.
They can also be planted and cultivated in the vegetable garden, or sown. Keeping them in the shade limits the hardening of the leaves.
