Chicory is an unpretentious perennial plant growing on forest edges and meadows, in wastelands and along roads and ditches. The time of flowering chicory - summer. At this time, wonderful blue, blue and pale pink flowers appear on it. Seeing along the road growing chicory, not everyone will guess that this unpretentious plant is the most popular coffee substitute in the world. In the departments of diabetic nutrition of supermarkets a rather large assortment of chicory for preparing drinks is presented. How to brew chicory?
Pick your recipe
You will need
- - roots of chicory;
- - water;
- - coffee grinder or blender.
Instruction manual
1
Currently, different chicory is sold in stores: minced (before brewing it must be ground in a conventional coffee grinder), ground, instant - in the form of a thick paste or powder. Brewing chicory in this form is quite simple, recommendations are usually indicated on the package. But you can make a drink yourself from the roots of chicory. To prepare the roots, rinse and then dry well.
2
Fry the roots in a pan over very low heat until all the moisture has evaporated. During frying, they will be specific, but very pleasant to smell. The culprit of this fragrance is a bouquet of aromatic substances called chicoryol, which are formed during frying in roots.
3
Grind the fried roots in a coffee grinder or blender. Pour boiling water over them (1 teaspoon of chicory in a glass of water) and simmer for about five minutes. Then remove from heat and let the drink brew for 5-7 minutes.
4
The chic drink is ready! You can drink it, like coffee, with cream, milk, sugar and, if desired, even with lemon.
Useful advice
Chicory roots contain a storehouse of nutrients: pectin, choline, glycosides (lactucin, intibin, chicory), 40 percent of the starchy substance inulin, sugar, protein and tannins, ascorbic acid, vitamin K, B vitamins, organic acids.
A decoction of wild chicory, unlike coffee, has a calming effect on the central nervous system. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and astringent properties. It is proved that increasing the amplitude and slowing down the rhythm of heart contractions, chicory improves the work of the heart. In people who drink chicory, in most cases, trouble-free digestion and excellent appetite.
In modern domestic medicine, a number of anti-inflammatory, choleretic and wound healing preparations are made on the basis of chicory. Not so long ago, it was found that chicory root extract lowers blood sugar. This means that the chicory drink can be successfully used in the complex treatment of diabetes.