Note that, as for most natural products, various health risks apparently accompany consumption of chicory. Particularly troubling are claims that repeated consumption can lead to retinal damage. But - like garlic - it is also claimed effective at clearing intestinal worms (plus a long list of other conditions, and might even keep those pestering zombies away).
By the way, has anyone read Mary Shelley's "The Last Man"?
Update: I picked some chicory among the weeds along our street. The plant is easy to identify particularly due to its large blue flowers. I scraped off much of the outer skin (not sure a purist would have done that) and washed off as much dirt as possible before slicing the roots lengthwise into thin strips and drying them in an oven at approx 150 degrees Celsius for over about two hours, at which point the roots were giving off a pleasant nutty smell and had turned slightly brown. At this point I crushed the dried strips with a mortar and pestle and returned to the oven to roast at 200 degrees. It didn't take long (<20 minutes) for the ground roots to "brown" (and give off smoke i.e. burning) at which point I quickly took them out of the oven and ground the stuff one more time.
For the taste test I put some of the grounds into a coffee filter and immersed in hot water which quickly turned to the familiar black colour we associate with coffee, and did so with a speed more commonly associated with instant coffee. The taste was as promised somewhat bitter, but after adding sugar not unpleasant, and after adding milk more akin to very dark tea.
Update #2: I must admit to not having finished my first cup of chicory brew, and I doubt I will consume the remainder of the grounds. First, the taste - although not unpleasant - cannot displace my strong affection for coffee. Second, the absence of a caffeine jolt leaves much to be desired functionally. Third, there are suggestions that chicory brew in fact has a tranquilizing or somniferous effect, which makes you wonder how anyone could suggest chicory as an alternative to coffee in the first place. Finally, it is considerably more work to prepare the stuff than to buy coffee at your local grocers. I must admit however that this experience has kindled some interest in roasting coffee. Furthermore, I should definitely check further on the appropriate preparation of the chicory grounds. Using a coffee grinder will probably improve the product.
Conclusion: Chicory brew is the drink of choice when you need to relax after a long day fighting zombies.
Update #3: Hank Shaw has a great blog where he details how to make chicory coffee. His approach is basically the same, except he chooses to dry the root in the sun and roast for a longer time at a lower temperature. Also, he slices the root into discs prior to drying and roasting. He uses a coffee grinder although he also comments that the product is a mixture of powder and chunks. He also warns against grinding the root prior to roasting, as the ground stuff will toast (and burn) more quickly - something I can attest to. Various readers comment that dandelion and turnip roots can also be used as coffee substitutes. Also, it is worth noting that within the chicory family there are various varieties, some more suited for making "coffee" - I am not sure the roadside variety I used is so great - I haven't checked botanical compendia to verify its identity.
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