Chicory is a plant that can be used to green the environment, purify the air, and can also be used as a vegetable. Moreover, chicory itself is not poisonous and the leaves of chicory can be eaten raw. Therefore, it is a good idea to cultivate chicory at home. A very good choice, healthy and environmentally friendly.

1. The efficacy and role of chicory

1. Chicory is called European endive in Europe, or French endive, Belgian endive, and bract. In Japan, it is called endive. It's called "bitter cabbage."

2. Chicory is a vegetable made of young leaves, leaf balls and leaf buds. It is a domesticated and selected variant of wild chicory. It is native to the Mediterranean, central and northern Asia. Chicory contains some ingredients that are not found in ordinary vegetables, such as bitter substances such as horse chestnut bark, horse chestnut bark glycoside, wild lettuce glycoside, mountain lettuce and mountain lettuce, which have the effect of clearing the liver and promoting gallbladder.

3. The crude protein content of chicory in the leaf cluster stage is 22.87, and the crude protein content in the early flowering stage is 14.73, with an average of 17, and the crude protein yield reaches 250kg/mu. In the early flowering stage, it contains 2.l of crude fat and 30.6 of crude fiber. It has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, diuretic and reducing swelling, and strengthening the stomach.

4. Chicory contains many nutrients, which can not only regulate our endocrine disorders, but also improve gastrointestinal function, clear intestines, reduce fire and moisturize, and can also enhance human immunity and other health effects.

5. Chicory is rich in potassium, which can effectively increase the oxygen supply to the brain and regulate heart rhythm.

2. How to eat chicory

1. The root is roasted and ground and then added with coffee as a flavoring additive or as a coffee substitute; the root can be coated with cream after being cooked Edible, the leaves can be used in salads. Sometimes used to color, thicken, and add bitterness to coffee (as New Orleans people often do).

2. The young leaves of chicory can be harvested and eaten, but the softened and cultivated chicory sprouts are mainly used for raw food. Wash the large sprout bulbs, peel off the leaves, and dip the whole leaves into the sauce to make a delicious and appetizing cold dish. The small sprout bulbs can be eaten whole. When cleaning, do not rinse with hot boiling water (it will turn brown, soft and bitter after heating), but can be fried or boiled. If the outer leaves have damaged outer layers, they can be stir-fried over high heat after being washed. They can be eaten immediately after being stir-fried. They should not be kept for a long time.

3. Chicory is very useful whether it is used for stir-frying, making salads, or as an ingredient in coffee. Not only does it taste fragrant, but it also has very good effects and functions. It is often eaten It is used by people to appetize, reduce swelling and diuresis, especially those with liver disease or frequent edema, especially like to eat chicory. In addition, it can also be used to clear away heat and detoxify.

3. Precautions for cultivating chicory

1. Temperature: Chicory is a semi-cold-resistant plant, and its taproots have strong cold resistance. The optimum temperature for plant growth is 17~20℃. When it exceeds 20℃, the assimilation function is weakened. However, plants in the seedling stage have strong high temperature resistance, and the suitable growth temperature is 20 to 25°C. To promote the softening period of chicory cultivation, 18℃ is the best. If the temperature is too high, the bud bulbs formed will be loose and not compact; if the temperature is too low, the bud bulbs will not form.

2. Moisture: Chicory needs a moist environment throughout its growth and development process. If the soil moisture is insufficient after sowing, germination and emergence will be delayed. However, in the seedling stage, in order to promote the development of the root system, the water needs to be properly controlled to ensure that it is wet and dry at the same time. After the plant sprouts, the tap roots begin to expand, and the supply of water should be ensured.

3. Light: The plant needs sufficient light during the vegetative growth period so that the fleshy roots can grow fully. Dark conditions are required for cultivation.

4. Soil: Fertile and loose sandy loam soil should be chosen for planting. Chicory has strong adaptability to soil acidity and alkalinity, but overly acidic soil is not conducive to its growth.

Chicory has a very high nutritional value, and when it was first discovered, it was only treated as a wild vegetable. Now it can also be fed artificially, so friends who have suitable conditions at home can eat it. You can enjoy the fun of growing chicory and eating green and healthy vegetables.