Java without the Jive: coffee substitutes - Brief Article

Whole Earth, Summer, 2002 by Thalia DeWolf

My homeschooling mamas' group meets at night. We feast and yak. The food (and the yak) is great but, sheesh, was I getting sick of herbal tea!!! I love love love coffee, but even decaf kept me up after our rants. I really wanted java but without the jive. I needed that hot bitter sweet milky yummy without the eye-opening buzz. So I ventured into the wild world of coffee substitutes, dragging my support group through that jungle with me. (Barley, chicory, and rye are the most common ingredients in these drinks, though many other herbs, grains, fruits, and veggies can be used.)

Many had gone before me and given up hope. Nothing can taste like coffee except coffee! True, true. Each week I brought a different version. None of them really tasted like my true love, but each week I found myself, and the others, falling for the flavors of the substitutes in their own rights. We swapped notes on the overtones, the prices, the recipes. The intimacy built and we have settled on a few favorites. Each of us knows exactly how the others take theirs--black, or with soymilk, cow milk, sugar. We pour out the warm cups as the crowd arrives, and, without words, doctor it up perfectly. Here are the ones we tried out. We found all of them in local supermarkets or natural food stores.

Pero. We like this one the best, though it is almost twinned to Roma and Inka. The flavor is rich, mildly bitter, and almondy. It smells roasted but sweet. At $.03 per teaspoon (the recommended dose per cup) it's a good deal, though we all liked the recipe doubled. Instant (add water and stir).

Roma was second for most tasters, but very, very dose to Inka and Pero. The flavor is also mild and bitter, but a bit smokier, and the aroma is almost coffee-esque. $.07 per teaspoon. Again, we double the recipe. Instant.

Inka is the smokiest and most bitter of the top three, but mild and pleasant. It smells deliciously like dark, maybe even burned, coffee. At $.02 per teaspoon, it's the best deal. Like the first two, this one wants a double serving per cup. Instant.

Caffix. Much sweeter and milder than the top three, this one has slightly malted but still bitter flavor. The smell is soft and kind of sweet potatoish. It makes a wonderful latte, and is widely available, even in cafes. $.04 a teaspoon, but you can almost triple it for a great taste. Instant.

Teeccino (java flavor) offers bitter, mild caramel flavor in a grind that you brew like coffee: drip, filtered, or French press pot. Yummy with milk and sugar. $.21-$.34 per cup. Also nice doubled.

Postum. Burnt molasses taste with a sweet smell. Not much like coffee, but it does have some bittersweetness. Makes a great warm nighttime drink. $.06 a teaspoon and, you guessed it, we all preferred it doubled. Instant.

Diva Java. Very malty, sweet, spicy with a very, very milky base. We wanted to like this one (the label is so cool), but most of us found it kind of revolting--too milky, too malty, too groovy. $.46 a cup. One tablespoonful per cup was plenty. Instant.

Raja's Cup. Unbearably bitter, medicinal when brewed as directed (boiled for five minutes). Tolerable when brewed lightly for three minutes in just-off-the-boil water, with milk and sugar. Gives you a clear blast of herbal bitterness. $.05 when brewed like coffee or $.17 a cup in tea bags.

None of these substitutes has any caffeine at all, and most have no sugar or fat. Some can be used to cook with or make iced drinks. Many are delicious over ice cream. Some of our crazy kids even like them.