Chicory

Along with the artichoke and the daisy, chicory belongs to the cosmopolitan Asteraceae family, which is the second-largest family in the plant world and has been present in our landscapes for over 80 million years. 

Whether cultivated or wild, chicory is entirely edible, from its petals to its roots. The Egyptians praised it 4,000 years ago for its medicinal and digestive properties, and the Capitulare De Villis text recommended its cultivation in the Carolingian royal vegetable garden, as early as 812.
 
In summer, its pale blue flowers, with petals as delicate as crumpled silk, enliven meadows and rocky roadsides.