Chicory

In 1770 ds. Nieuwold in Warga and Grietman J. Bergsma (Damwoude) introduced the chicory coffee. A substitute for 'the lesser classes' in Friesland. The chicory is family of endive and has been used as a vegetable and medicinal plant since immemorial times. In the eighteenth century, it is discovered that the root of this plant is suitable to produce a substitute for coffee. Around 1800 England impedes the import of coffee with the result that the price goes up. The chicory root shows to be an excellent alternative. The first chicory plant is established in Huizum near Leeuwarden. The roots are dried in ovens and crushed hand mills. With 66 factories in 1819 Friesland grows to be the center of the Dutch chicory cultivation. In villages in the northeast of the province dozens of chicory factories arise, but also in cities like Leeuwarden and Dokkum. After 1813 the import of coffee starts again. During the two world wars, the chicory has a small revival. In the thirties the cultivation definitely disappears in Friesland.