Widely grown in Europe for its root, chicory is a Mediterranean herb used as a coffee filler or substitute. In North America, chicory, also known as blue-sailors, grows wild. It is a blue-flowered herb with a long white root. Parts of chicory, known as endive, are found in salads, as either a vegetable or a green.

The thick chicory root is roasted and powdered to be added to coffee. The origins of adding chicory to coffee as a filler and flavor enhancer began as early as the 15th century. The tradition spread to the French, and it became common in parts of Europe where coffee could not be grown or because it was cheaper.

Eventually, it became quite popular in the U.S., specifically in New Orleans. Unlike coffee, chicory does not contain caffeine. It tends to have a flavor like chocolate.

The salad versions of chicory come in broad and curly leafed varieties. The narrow-leaved version is also called curly endive and the broad leafed variety is also known as escarole. The outer leaves are green and have a bitter taste. Inner leaves are lighter in color, even white, and have a mild taste. Endive is often added to blander lettuces in a salad to add flavor.

Chicory roots that are forced to produce blanched, tight heads, are known as Witloof chicory, also called French or Belgian endive. This chicory is blanched and used as a salad vegetable. Chicory leaves, rather than roots, are more commonly used in the U.S. In Belgium, France and Holland, chicory is frequently a salad vegetable ingredient.

Chicory roots, if stored in the refrigerator, can be kept for several months. When selecting endive heads, look for a crisp, bright green color, and no brown areas. Chicory greens look similar to Dandelion leaves, and the young, tender leaves are preferable. When selecting chicons, or chicory heads, look for very tight, pure white specimens that are approximately one inch (2.54 cm) thick and approximately four inches (10.16 cm) in length. To store endive and chicory greens in the refrigerator, place them in plastic bags and they will keep for about ten days.

Chicory is purported to have several health benefits, including possibly aiding in digestion. Because it contains a compound called inulin, a soluble fiber, chicory may assist digestion by aiding the probiotic bacteria in the digestive tract.