Chicory is a bitter salad leaf. The names of chicory are very confusing. There are several different types of chicory, all based on the wild chicories, which may have either yellow flowers or blue flowers and the names sometimes cover several types of chicory. They all produce leaves with a bitter taste used in salads. The bitterness can be slightly ameliorated by the use of lemon juice. For those who like a bitter coffee, chicory root may be used as an additive. In times of hardship it has even been used as a substitute. Cultivated versions include radicchio, forced white chicons of chicory and endives.
