French Chicory

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French Chicory

Chicory was a popular coffee substitute and economizer for 2 centuries, back when coffee was more prized, and pure coffee was a luxury. In that time, it became a matter of cultural preference to use chicory in coffee, in the United States it was synonymous with New Orleans coffee. The specific taste of famous New Orleans brands is due to the blend of dark roasted coffee and chicory. But when I worked in New Orleans I found how stale the coffee was, and what low quality chicory was being used. If you use high quality coffee, like our French Roast Blend that you roast yourself, and a true imported French Chicory, you will get optimal results with that typical New Orleans Cafe au Lait cup character. Read the review below for the ratio of coffee-to-chicory typically used. I was always told that Chicory was related to the Radish and that is what I wrote on this page. But you savvy readers won't let me make such errors: Chicory is in the plant family Compositae or Asteraceae, the sunflower family. Think Jerusalem artichoke. Radish is in the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family, the mustard family. Thanks for keeping me honest... -Tom


More on Chicory and New Orleans: Many myths surround the use of chicory in coffee blends. One story holds that the root was accidentally found to be a flavorful additive to coffee as far back as the sixteenth century. Chicory is made from the root of the endive plant and was used as a filler and flavor enhancer in parts of northern Europe at least as far back as the eighteenth century. Napoleon's armies reportedly brought chicory back to France, where Parisians began to prefer its taste and the thriftiness of adding chicory. Since chicory could be grown in parts of Europe where coffee could not, the root was obviously cheaper. How it made its way to the United States is unknown. For many years it was used to stretch coffee supplies, especially in hard times such as the Civil War. This practice upset many purists, who disdained chicory and other additives. Somewhere along the way, however, New Orleanians developed a taste for chicory in coffee blends and many prefer it today. Throughout the New Orleans area, chicory has been used as a flavor additive. Local coffee companies have kept up with demand by offering the same blends with and without chicory. Within the city, coffee and chicory are consumed in greater quantities than anywhere else. Outside of the city, most coffee drinkers imbibe pure coffee instead.

Imported Chicory, Roasted and Cut

$5.00	$9.50	$21.75	$41.50	Limit 10 pounds

You can't make New Orleans Style coffee without Chicory, and you can't make good New Orleans coffee unless you use a FRESH roast of good coffee roasted to the French stage, and good imported Chicory. That Cafe DuMonde coffee-chicory stuff from the can is atrocious! This the real deal. Chicory is a root, difficult to roast because of odd shape. What you do is take a French roast and combine 2/3 ground coffee with 1/3 chicory. Brew any way to like ...an automatic drip is fine, but I like it in a French Press best. And what do you get? Strong, inky-black coffee. Serve with cream or drink it straight if you want more hair on your chest! For years, the chicory we offered was imported from France, this new batch is produced in India - and is not as dark roasted. It is actually enjoyable! In the strictest terms, the cup quality of coffee + chicory ... to a trained coffee cupper ... is low. This is an aduterated beverage, by the definition of those who don't take culture and history into account.

For me, having lived and roasted coffee in New Orleans, I have a soft spot for this flavor, and continue to offer it here despite the fact that the "coffee cupper superego" in me indicates that I shouldn't. To heck with taste, up with the culture! Freshness? This stuff keeps its character a long long time. Keep it in a sealed container so it doesn't absorb other food odors though.As a side note: technically the Chicory is cut, not ground. It's is also roasted much differently than coffee because of its unusual root shape: it is roasted on a conveyor-type roaster much as peanuts are roasted these days...

Chicory Diagram

Country: Chicory

Grade: Imported

Region: n/a

Processing: Other Process

Arrival Date: 2011

Appearance: Roasted / Cut

Varietal:

Intensity/Prime Attribute: Bold /licorce, anise/body and rootiness

Roast: Already roasted! You can't roast chicory using coffee roasting methods anyway…

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This page is authored by Thompson Owen and Sweet Maria's Coffee, Inc. and is not to be copied or reproduced without permission