Chicory Root: Benefits, Taste, Caffeine, and How to Steep It
The blue-flowered roadside plant whose root makes an earthy, woody, gently bitter cup. Naturally caffeine-free and full of prebiotic inulin.
Meet the ingredient
What is Chicory Root ?
Chicory root is the dried, chopped taproot of Cichorium intybus, a tough perennial with sky-blue flowers that you have probably seen along a roadside without knowing its name. The plant is native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia and now grows wild across North America. Above ground it is a lanky, wiry stalk; below ground it sends down a long, fleshy root packed with inulin, a prebiotic fiber that gives the root a faint natural sweetness behind its earthy bite.
Roasted and ground, chicory root is the famous coffee stand-in of New Orleans cafés and wartime Europe. Our Organic Chicory Root is the dried root rather than the roasted one, so a cup steeped in an infuser or tea bag is lighter and cleaner than chicory coffee: pale gold, earthy and woody, with a mild bitterness and no caffeine at all. It is a natural base for root blends and a gentle, coffee-free way to end the day.
- OriginEurope & the Mediterranean
- FlavorEarthy & Woody
- CaffeineNone
Botanical origins
The Chicory family tree
Chicory belongs to the Asteraceae, the daisy family, which makes it a cousin of dandelion, chamomile, calendula and burdock. Its closest relative is one you will find in the salad aisle: endive, radicchio and Belgian endive are all Cichorium, the same small genus. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek and Egyptian words for the plant, and the species name intybus is Latin for endive. Like dandelion, chicory bleeds a milky latex when cut and opens its flowers with the sun, each blue bloom lasting a single morning.
The plant is a hardy perennial that grows to about four feet on stiff, sparsely leaved stems, with a rosette of dandelion-like leaves at the base. What matters for tea is underneath: a thick, pale taproot that can reach a foot or more into poor, dry ground. The root is lifted in autumn, when it stores the most inulin, then washed, chopped and dried. Roasting the same root is what turns it into the coffee substitute; drying alone keeps its lighter, earthier character.
Health benefits
Chicory root tea benefits
Is chicory root tea good for you? Chicory is best known for inulin, a prebiotic fiber that steeps straight into the cup, and it has a long history as a digestive and liver bitter in European herbalism.
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Chicory root is one of the richest natural sources of inulin, a prebiotic fiber that passes through the stomach undigested and feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Inulin is water-soluble, so a good share of it steeps into the cup, which is why chicory root is the classic herb for a healthy microbiome and regular, comfortable digestion.
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Chicory has been used as a digestive bitter since Roman times. The bitter compounds in the root, including lactucin and lactucopicrin, are thought to stimulate the taste receptors that get digestive juices flowing, which is why a cup of chicory root tea before or after a meal has such a long tradition in European herbalism.
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Because inulin is a soluble fiber that absorbs water and slows digestion, chicory root has a reputation for helping people feel fuller for longer. That is the reason it appears in so many weight-management blends, and why a caffeine-free cup of chicory makes a satisfying stand-in for a second coffee.
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Chicory root has been used for centuries as a liver and gallbladder tonic, often alongside its cousin dandelion. Herbalists prize it as a gentle cleansing bitter, and early research into its polyphenols and sesquiterpene lactones has looked at how they may help protect liver cells from oxidative stress.
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The root is a source of polyphenols, including chicoric acid, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, the same family of compounds found in coffee. These antioxidants help the body manage oxidative stress and are behind much of the research into chicory's anti-inflammatory potential.
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Because inulin slows the absorption of carbohydrates, chicory root fiber has been studied for its effect on blood sugar and insulin response, with some small trials showing modest improvements. Chicory tea itself is unsweetened and calorie-free, so it fits easily into a low-sugar routine.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
History
History of Chicory Root
Chicory is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the Mediterranean. It is thought to appear in the Ebers Papyrus of ancient Egypt, around 1550 BC, among the medicinal herbs. The Greeks and Romans grew it as a vegetable and valued its bitterness for digestion. Pliny the Elder recommended it for the liver, and Horace wrote that olives, chicory and mallow were all he needed to live on. Through the Middle Ages it stayed in the monastery gardens of Europe as a spring green and a bitter tonic. By the eighteenth century, people in the Netherlands and Germany were roasting the root and brewing it like coffee.
Its fame as a coffee substitute came from scarcity. Beginning in 1806, Napoleon's Continental Blockade cut France off from imported coffee, and roasted chicory root filled the gap. Many French drinkers kept it even after trade reopened. French settlers had already brought the habit to Louisiana, and when the Union blockade choked off coffee during the Civil War, New Orleans leaned on chicory hard enough that it became part of the city's identity. It is still in the café au lait at Café du Monde. Rationing put chicory back in European cups during both World Wars.
Today most chicory is grown for inulin, a fiber extracted from the root. The rest is roasted and steeped as a naturally caffeine-free cup, doing the same job it has done for more than two centuries: standing in for coffee.
- Herbal tea Caffeine free
- White tea Low caffeine
- Green tea Low caffeine
- Black tea Medium caffeine
- Matcha High caffeine
Levels are typical; steep time and leaf amount change them.
Caffeine
Does chicory root tea have caffeine?
No. Chicory root is naturally caffeine-free, which is exactly why it became the great coffee substitute. Even roasted, it contains no caffeine and no other stimulants, so a cup of chicory root tea is safe for the evening and for anyone cutting back on coffee.
Taste
What does chicory root tea taste like?
Chicory root tea tastes earthy and woody with a clean, gentle bitterness and a faint natural sweetness from the inulin in the root. Because our root is dried rather than roasted, the cup is pale gold and lighter than chicory coffee: think of a mild root tea with the depth of dandelion root and a dry, slightly nutty finish. A longer steep brings out more bitterness and a darker amber color, and a splash of milk or a little honey rounds it off. Chicory also blends well with dandelion root, cacao nibs or cinnamon for something closer to a coffee-style cup.
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Making the tea
How to make chicory root tea
Heat
Bring fresh, filtered water to a boil.
- Heat
- Measure
- Steep
- Remove
- Enjoy
Where to buy
Where can I buy Organic Chicory Root ?
You can find Organic Chicory Root on our website! We are USDA certified organic, and our products are vegan and free of GMOs. Try it out today!
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