Chicory: the comeback of a forgotten root

Neglected for several decades, associated with the image of a "war drink", chicory is now back on our plates and in our cups. Discover a root that has nothing to envy to coffee.

Tiana Salles Published today at 2:12 PM

This French product appeals as much for its ecological and economic impact as for its unique flavor and nutritional qualities.

A root emblematic of the North

While Parisian coffee shops seem to be rediscovering it, in the Hauts-de-France region, chicory has never disappeared. Inhabitants of the Nord region have always consumed it. However, national disinterest has been such that only two roasting companies remain. Stéphane Catrice is one of these last roasters. He has joined his wife, Agnès Lutun, the fourth generation to run Chicorée du Nord, founded in 1934, which now has 12 employees. With the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label, they have preserved their traditional know-how in the face of an industrial behemoth. " Production is methodical and demanding. The roots are harvested between mid-September and mid-December, cleaned, cut and dried to obtain thin strips called cossettes. Roasting transforms the natural sugars into caramel through the Maillard reaction, giving chicory its characteristic taste," explains Stéphane Catrice.

Beyond its traditional appeal, chicory has a number of nutritional benefits: "It's caffeine-free, gentle on the stomach, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, rich in prebiotic fibers and believed to help bind calcium and iron", he adds.what's more, since it's produced locally, it's a sustainable alternative to coffee, with a much lower carbon footprint. According to Ademe, a cup of chicory emits an average of 10g of CO₂, compared with 49g for coffee. " It's one more argument to appeal to the younger generation, who are very sensitive to responsible consumption ," observes the roaster. Some chefs are not mistaken. Florent Ladeyn, committed to an ultra-locavore approach, replaces coffee with Stéphane Catrice's chicory and uses it in beers, sauces and pastries.

A culinary rediscovery

At the Domaine de Beaulieu, chef Christophe Dufossé appreciates it in all its forms: " There's the perennial plant, wild and blue, the roasted root that you drink like coffee, the leafy salad ". And for him, chicory is almost a part of everyday life: " Here, at grandma's in the morning, it's chicory; if you come by in the afternoon, it's still chicory", confides the chef. In the kitchen, he uses it both as leaves - in salads or pesto - and as a roasted root to enrich juices and sauces, often combined with beer. " We make a reduction with a stock, brown the root with the garnishes, then infuse and extract for a whole day ," he explains.

florian Salesse

A particular taste that he associates more readily with autumn and winter flavors. In desserts, he plays on its bitterness to marry it with sweeter flavors: apple, chestnut, candied pear... Chicory is notably present in one of his signature desserts, the Gaillette, a nod to the pieces of coal from the local mining past: a trompe-l'oeil of "coal" containing chocolate, praline... and chicory!

A promising future

Long perceived as a modest product, chicory is reinventing itself as a French, local and sustainable alternative. It is being exported beyond the homes of the North and is conquering chefs' kitchens, even in the capital - as at La Halle aux Grains in Paris, which recently incorporated it into a creation based on kasha and buckwheat. And now coffee shops in search of responsible, caffeine-free beverages are adopting it. It even recently made its way onto TGV trains! And chicory probably still has many uses to reveal.