 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Coffee substitute" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Coffee substitutes are non-coffee products, usually withoutcaffeine, that are used to imitate coffee. Coffee substitutes can be used for medical, economic and religious reasons, or simply because coffee is not readily available.Roasted grain beverages are common substitutes for coffee.
InWorld War II,acorns were used to make coffee,[where?] as well as roastedchicory andgrain.Postum, a bran and molasses beverage, also became a popular coffee substitute during this time. During theAmerican Civil War coffee was also scarce in theSouthern United States:[1]
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.
— "Substitutes for Coffee",The Southern Banner, 1865
Things like rye and ground sweet potato were some of the most popular substitutes at this time.[2]
Coffee substitutes are sometimes used in preparing food and drink served to children, to people who believe that coffee is unhealthy, and to people who avoid caffeine for religious reasons. TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) advises its members to refrain from drinking coffee, as church doctrine interprets aprohibition against "hot drinks" to include coffee in all forms.[3] TheSeventh-day Adventist Church has traditionally regardedcaffeine as an unhealthful substance, and advised its members to avoid all food and drink containing caffeine, including coffee, although younger members do consume coffee.[4]
Some Asian culinary traditions include beverages made from roasted grain instead of roasted coffee beans (includingbarley tea,corn tea, andbrown rice tea); these do not substitute for coffee but fill a similar niche as a hot aromatic drink (optionally sweetened).
Grain coffee and other substitutes can be made byroasting ordecocting various organic substances.
Some ingredients used includealmond,acorn,asparagus,maltedbarley,beechnut,beetroot,carrot,chicory root,corn,soybeans,cottonseed,dandelion root (seedandelion coffee),fig, roastedgarbanzo beans,[5]lupinus, boiled-downmolasses,okra seed,pea,persimmon seed,potato peel,[6]rye,sassafras pits,sweet potato,wheat bran.
TheNative American people of what is now theSoutheastern United States brewed a ceremonial drink containing caffeine, "asi", or the "black drink", from the roasted leaves and stems ofIlex vomitoria (Yaupon holly).[7] European colonists adopted this beverage as a coffee-substitute, which they called "cassina".[8]
A coffee substitute from ground, roasted chickpeas was mentioned by a German writer in 1793.[5]
Dandelion coffee is attested as early as the 1830s in North America.[9]
The drink brewed from ground, roastedchicory root has no caffeine, but is dark and tastes much like coffee. It was used as a medicinal tea before coffee was introduced to Europe. Use of chicory as a coffee substitute became widespread in France early in the 19th century due to coffee shortages resulting from theContinental Blockade. It was used during theAmerican Civil War in Louisiana, and remains popular in New Orleans.[10] Chicory mixed with coffee is also popular in South India, and is known asIndian filter coffee.
Postum is an instant type of coffee substitute made from roastedwheat bran,wheat andmolasses. It reached its height of popularity in the United States duringWorld War II when coffee was sharplyrationed.
In 2021, media outlets reported that the world's first synthetic coffee products have been created by two biotechnology companies, still awaiting regulatory approvals for near-term commercialization.[14][15][16] Such products, which can be produced viacellular agriculture inbioreactors[16] and for which multiplecompanies' R&D have acquired substantial funding, may have equal or similar effects, composition and taste as natural products but use less water, generate less carbon emissions, require less labour[additional citation(s) needed] and causeno deforestation.[14] Products that are comparable to naturally grown coffee on the chemical molecular level would not be "coffee substitutes" but differ only in their method of production; hence they would be "lab-grown coffee".[15]
Earlier, in 2019, molecular coffee, made from undisclosed plant-based materials and caffeine, was demonstrated after being developed by an American company, Atomo. However, it is unclear how similar the composition is to coffee on a molecular level or in terms of its effects.[17] It was put on a short temporary sale in 2021.[15]
Coffee substitutes may bepowder, which dissolves in hot water;grounds, which are brewed like coffee; orgrains, left whole to be boiled and steeped like tea.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
