Coffee substitute
Coffee substitutes are products that try to taste like coffee. The idea for using them is to have a drink that tastes like coffee, but has no caffeine in it.[1] The main reasons for making coffee substitutes are medical, economic and barbaric. In World War II, acorns were used to make coffee, however it tasted foul. It was also hard to get. In the American Civil War there was a similar story -
"For the stimulating property to which both tea and coffee owe their chief value, there is unfortunately no substitute; the best we can do is to dilute the little stocks which still remain, and cheat the palate, if we cannot deceive the nerves." The Southern Banner, 1865
Ingredients
Grain coffee and other substitutes can be made by roasting or decocting various organic substances.
Some ingredients used include: almond, acorn, asparagus, barley and malt, beech nut, beetroot, carrot, chicory root, corn, cotton seed, dandelion root, fig, boiled-down molasses, okra seed, pea, persimmon seed, potato peel,[2] rye, sassafras nut, sweet potato.
Chicory has been sold commercially on a large scale since around 1970, and it has become a mainstream product. It was widely used during the American Civil War on both sides. Chicory is a native plant of Western Asia, Europe, and Northern Africa. And the cultivation of the plant is considered to be originated in Egypt. In France, around the 1800s, chicory was used as an ingredient or substitute for coffee.[3]
Postum is an instant type beverage used in place of coffee. It made from roasted grains and molasses. Postum history goes back to 1895 when an American named C.W. Post created the coffee substitute, inspired by a caramel coffee recipe made by Harvey Kellogg. It reached the height of its popularity during World War II. It also really caught on with people who for health or religious reasons preferred not to consume drinks that contained caffeine. For popular usage on the sitcom Seinfeld George says to Jerry he does not know why postum is not a more popular beverage.
Coffee Substitute Media
German coffee substitute, Koff, by J.J. Darboven (mid 20th century)
German coffee substitute, Feigen-Caffee, historical advertisement (late 19th century)
East German "coffee mix" consisting of 51% coffee, produced due to shortages
1940s product photo of Swedish coffee surrogate brand "Cafenco"
Related pages
References
- ↑ "9 Alternatives to Coffee (And Why You Should Try Them)". Healthline. 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ↑ "The Weather Notebook: Potato Coffee". Archived from the original on 2010-11-30. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
- ↑ "What is Chicory Coffee?". Coffee Prices. 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2022-03-12.