Because I Can, Vol. 2 – Chicory Coffee
Jun 5th, 2009 | By Hank | Category: Cooking Basics, The Garden | Comments | 30 Comments |
For a time, my favorite coffee was New Orleans style, where the coffee is cut with roasted, ground chicory root. The result is smooth, a little more acidic than normal coffee, with a taste and aroma similar to a mocha — and it makes a drink darker than the inside of a cow.
I used to Ozark it up even more by drinking it black, sweetened with molasses, not sugar. Definitely a manly drink, and probably the reason I have so much hair on my chest. I imagined lumberjacks or pioneers drinking this between cutting wood or fording wild rivers.
I was not in the habit of doing either, so I ultimately switched back to straight coffee. Actually I stopped because the canned chicory coffee I’d been buying grew pretty grim on my tastebuds over time; stale and dusty tasting. I never found anyone who made a premium version, so I left chicory root by the wayside.
I knew I could make my own by digging up the raggedy sailors — chicory is that weedy azure-blue flower that grows on a roadside near you. But I’d never bothered with it, as you need to dig in fall, and I only really notice this plant in summer when it’s flowering, or in early spring when I eat the greens.
But then, last autumn, I bought some “root chicory” seeds and planted them. Now I had absolutely no intention of making chicory coffee from them. I have a thing for crazy root vegetables, and it is my contention that if more locovores living in Northern climates grew a wider variety of roots, their winter menus would be far more interesting. I wanted to test this root out as a vegetable, so I planted it in my root bed next to the scorzonera I experimented with this year.
And then, as typically happens, life got in the way. I looked up and it was May already — while the chicory roots had not yet sent up flower stalks (except for one), they would be far too bitter and “hot” to eat as a veggie. Damn.
What to do with these things? I pulled one and was astounded at how large it was: A good 30 inches, with a base about two inches across. Christ, that’s a big root. And then I remembered my lumberjack coffee. But just how do you make chicory coffee?
I’d read a few sets of instructions that say just wash and dry the roots, then roast them in a moderate oven until “ready,” then break into pieces and grind into coffee-like grounds. I knew intuitively that this was horseshit. I could not imagine breaking a root that was two inches broad into pieces small enough to not kill my grinder.
Other sets of instructions, mostly for making dandelion coffee, call for slicing the roots into thin discs, then drying them, then roasting them, and then grinding them. This sounded more sane.
So I began slicing up the 20-or so large chicory roots I’d managed to pull. I ate a few raw, and they weren’t terrible: If something can manage to be sweet and bitter at the same time, these roots achieved that feat.
When I was doing this, it was 104 degrees outside. Not ideal oven drying weather, but perfect weather to dry things outside. And my “drying rack” of choice is the hood of my pickup. So I sat these sliced roots out in the sun, and they dried nicely in two days.
When it came time to roast the chicory, I found even more misleading instructions on the internet; yes, I know — misleading information on the internet?! Heavens! Everyone seems to say roast dandelion or chicory root in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Uh, yeah. You then have slightly warmer dried chicory roots. Nope, instead of 15 minutes, try 90 minutes, or even two hours. I might try 2-3 hours at a lower temperature next time.
I’d just like to say that even if you have no intention of actually drinking chicory coffee, it is worth roasting the roots this way. The whole house smelled wonderfully malty, chocolatey, warm. So lovely.
I let the roots cool overnight and ground them. Unfortunately they don’t seem to grind evenly, so I have powder mixed with chunks. But I use a press pot for my coffee, whose filter is enough to strain it all out.
Yesterday I decided to brew myself a straight cup of chicory coffee. I put about a 1/4 cup into my press pot, the same amount I use for coffee, boiled some water and steeped the inky brew for about 5-8 minutes. I drank it black, with sugar.
Straight chicory coffee is some powerful stuff. it tastes like it is loaded with caffeine, but it isn’t. It looks a lot like motor oil, has that malty-chocolate aroma, a brighter acidity than coffee and a flavor I really am having trouble describing as other than with the cliche “earthy.” Guess that’s what I get for roasting a root.
I remember that beasty root. Also, very nice pictures – they have all the drama you could want. Great post. =)
My family is from India, and virtually every one of the billion people on that subcontinent drinks coffee laced with chicory—and loaded with milk and sugar. (The brand of choice is Bru, which I’m sure doesn’t compare to the home-grown chicory variety you describe in such delicious detail, but it’s pretty good, at least for the amateur tastebud.) I always loved the coffee there, and didn’t figure out for awhile what the “magic” ingredient was that made it taste so different from the typical Starbucks latte. Three cheers for chicory!
How about as a dry rub?
Oh, I would love to try some of that!
Sweet Maria’s sells high quality chicory root, I got addicted to the stuff after trying the New Orleans Style coffee from Blue Bottle in SF.
http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.other.chicory.php
Wow, Hank! I have never heard of this, and is probably one of the most interesting ideas i have heard, pertaining to food. Can you use any type of root, first one that comes to mind is parsnip. I think I may just try this, parsnip seems like something that may carry a similar flavor profile. Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks, Garrett!
MK: Well I’ll be dipped: Had no idea Indians cut their coffee with chicory, too. Guess a billion of them can’t be wrong, eh?
Kindred: Leave it to the Tarheels to think about barbecue first and foremost. I’ll give it a shot with some venison I have in the freezer…
Elise: Come over soon and you can!
Nick: Yes, you can use parsnips. I’ve never done it, but other people do. Maybe I will do a three-way taste test: Dandelions, chicory and parsnips. Or I could just buy Postum. Anyone else old enough to remember it?
Never had Postum but do remember it.
Chicory was used in the south during the civil war blockades as a coffee substitute.
Comment continued after computer decided IT wanted to post.
Grind it with a meat grinder with fine die, then a coffee grinder. You are looking for surface area.
Where did you get your root chicory seeds? I always mean to get out there in the fall and dig chicory roots, but I never get around to it. I’ve also heard that you can roast the seeds of that sticky weed, cleavers, to make a coffee substitute but it seems like you’d need quite a bit more than grows around my place.
i’m so planting chicory root seeds this autumn. can’t wait to grow some hair on my chest next year at this time.
Can one get bored with coffee? I know I am. I’ve heard of Chicory coffee before but had no idea you could grow your own root and make it.
NTSC: Grind dried, roasted roots through a meat grinder? Really? I have never ground hard, dry things with a grinder before…
Coriander: I got them from the outfit Seeds From Italy, and the variety is called “Cicoria da radice di soncino.”
Molly: You can plant now and harvest around Thanksgiving…
Hank: chicory laced coffee reminds me of the summer I spent building roads in northern France (not at all romantic, sadly). See if you can dig up a nice recipe for brioche and those’ll pretty much be the gastronomic highlights from that summer.
best
Andrew
‘Alternative coffees’ have piqued my interest lately – so I’m glad you tried it. Sounds like it may be worth the bother.
We process 30 tons of chicory per day for coffee production and it really is good stuff. Here is some info you might find interesting related just to the root as that is what we deal with.
Chicory Root is considered a fine liver, gallbladder and spleen tonic. The herb is called a “cholagogue” or substance that promotes the production of bile and stimulates its flow from the gallbladder and bile ducts, and as such, is said to help purify blood and cleanse the liver and gallbladder …
The bitter principle in Chicory Root is believed to be beneficial for the glandular organs of the digestive system. The root is said to neutralize acid and correct acid indigestion, heartburn, gastritis, vomiting, upset stomach and lack of appetite, and Chicory Root has been approved by the German Commission E as a remedy for poor appetite and dyspepsia …
… Those with a very high fat diet experienced a remarkable decrease in blood cholesterol levels in time after taking Chicory Root, which may prove very helpful in cases of hardening of the arteries … The herb has a diuretic action that increases and promotes the flow of urine, which helps to cleanse the kidneys of toxins and remove them from the body.
It has been used to remove gravel, calcium deposits, and excess uric acid from the body, which helps to prevent gout and kidney stones … In addition, it has been used in poultices to reduce the inflammation of rheumatism and the pain of stiff and sore joints … Hope this was interesting to you all.
Lance
Hey Lance, Normally I do not edit comments, but this was way too long for me to run as is. I hope I got the gist of what you had to say. ~Hank
I usually just grind the roots in a blender, and then bake them at around 250 for several hours. Is there any advantage to grinding the roots after they are roasted?
I love chicory, but I’m getting tired of digging it up in gravel along the roadside. Could you tell me where you got the chicory seed from?
Rachel: Yes, the advantage is that if you chop, dry, then roast, you get better control over the roasting color — if you grind fine before you roast, it can go from done to burnt really fast.
As for the seeds, look up a few comments and you can see I hotlinked to where I get mine.
Hey, just the info I was looking for! I might have to give chicory another try. May I mention your blog in my garden column? I think folks would love to read about it.
Plants produce seeds. If you want seeds Just wait until the chicory plant goes to seed then harvest the seeds and plant them. Suggest you plant them in a contained area as they can become invasive!!
Richard: These chicory roots are VERY slow to bolt, so that is a time-consuming option. Silfert, I bought my seeds here.
I’m not looking to drink chicory straight–I like my daily dose of jumpy juice. But blending it in a coffee press sounds like a worthwhile experiment. The question is, what kind of coffee, as in origin and roast?
Today I finally found chicory again for my coffee. I last drank it regularly in the 1960s in South Africa as instant coffee (brand Presto) which we made with hot milk. I grew up on the stuff, as dad served it to all of us kids in bed as an incentive to rise and shine in the morning. A great way to start the day. We loved it.
But the time came when it was PC to put your nose in the air on a hook, looking for “purity” and dump the yummy drink with chicory that gave such great feedback to your insides, and drink “pure 100 per cent ” – er – rotgut?
But PURE rotgut:-)
And so the chicory blends lost market share.
I moved to USA in 1969 and never saw Presto again.
Now today, when I am what my grandkids call positively prehistoric, (I was dumb enough to ask, as my kids are considered “very old”) I have re-discovered where to get the real thing to make my milky chicory-coffee.
I suspect that is what is behind the invention of latte. I never heard of drinking it with water.
Till now.
Cheers!!!
Irene
Irene: What a lovely story! Stories like that make me glad I do this blog. You can always find chicory coffee in the USA in yellow cans from Cafe du Monde, and there is a brand in a red can, too. Forget the name. Look in the cheap coffee section of the supermarket!
I used to drink Lusianne “coffee with chicory
“. The best cup came out of the freshly opened can. lovely spicey bitter bite and cheap for student on a budget. Burl Ives used to do the ads. The can was red. Let me go back in time!!!
Now I am old and missing that drink. Perhaps you can clear up an old confusion. I know that in the usa the blue cornflower is the plant that folks use for chicory. But i am growing some chicory plants that my neighbor gave me because I said I wanted to make the drink from the root. She said it is also called witloof and they drink it in dutch africa and europe and all over. It looks like lettuce to me.
So I am confusal about whats what, could anyone shed some light?
Great blog by the way..
Procyan: Lusianne is the red one! I had forgotten the brand. It’s still in stores, man — go get some!
Chicory is chicory, so yes, the blue cornflower makes great chicory coffee and is wild and free. Witloof is not traditionally coffee chicory but rather the source of those beautiful pale “Belgian endives” you buy in the store. Both are chicories.
I use something called “root chicory” traditionally eaten as a root veggie. I let them grow really huge and then roast them for this coffee.
Not sold in New Zealand, darn. But i did find a can of cafe du monde. could not be drunk…by me. my wife says she has seen cornflower growing here so now we have a quest. thanks for clearing up the mystery. now i’m stuck with a few dozen endive. too bitter for my delicate palate. Even our Jersey heifer turned up her nose, although she is more spoilt than even me!
we shot some rabbits this pm. got any whiz bang ideas for a rabbit on the bar-b?
Awesome blogs. Very informative. Enjoy your many comments from others. Creative writing skills are great. Thank you for the information. I was looking for a coffee substitute. Now I am sold on chicory.
Procyan: The trick with the witloof is to grow them in the dark! Grow in a pot with a pot over them, or in the basement. They grow pale and are delish! In open, they ARE bitter, although I like them that way, too.
As for rabbits, I have lots of rabbit recipes on this site — look at the top under “wild game recipes” and then under “Rabbits and Hares.”
Sharon: Thanks a lot for the kind words! Chicory is defnitely my favorite coffee-like substitute.
An excellent -just an excellent- piece! I loved it, and your description of the roasting process.