Chicory Coffee Versus Regular Coffee

The chicory plant is a perennial with a few interesting traits. For one, the purple and blue flowers open and close at precisely the same time each day. Its leaves are used commonly in food, and the whole plant is used in North America and Europe, even though it is indigenous to North Africa and Western Asia. The Egyptians are said to have used chicory first, and the plant was grown by medieval monks throughout the 1700s.

The plant’s root is often roasted to create a substitute for coffee, a tradition that was popular in the early 1800s.

The cowboys of the old west used chicory when coffee wasn’t available, which was more common than you might think. It’s speculated that chicory came from the French influenced part of New Orleans. The region was also known for its affinity of coffee during the 1800s, and it’s likely that the blocking of the harbor in 1840 forced New Orleanians to seek out substitutes for their favorite drink. 

Chicory looks a lot like coffee when it has been roasted and ground. The scent is a bit different, more of a smoky-tobacco than a rich coffee, but you can use almost the same amount of chicory as coffee to brew a cup. The taste is also unmistakable, with a strong nuttiness to it that combines with a long after taste. Chicory was also helpful in extending one’s supply of coffee, helping to turn a daily habit affordable for families that had little discretionary income. Today, chicory still appears in Café Du Monde coffee, a New Orleans brand that traces its roots back to 1862.