Chickory Coffee

[PastryLady]

I read of Cafe du Monde in the south and found a can of Chickory Coffee from the restaurant at a gormet store. Brought it home and thought a bit. Does anyone have a recipe that uses this? Chickory Ice Cream is obvious off the top of my head and a chickory sauce. Thanks in advance! Chickory Chocolate Mousse...

[mjc]

In Bellouet's book L'art des enterements de france on p. 211 there's a recipe for "la tarte aux poires caramel-chicoree." I've made it a few times and its amazing. Its a almond shortcrust, filled with flourless chocolate cake and chocolate ganace, topped with pear slices around the edges, and then a disk of caramel chicoree mousse in the middle. The recipe though for the caramel chicoree mouse calls for "chicory in grains" which I believe may be different than the coffee with chicory that you have.

Edited August 28, 2003 by mjc (log)

[babyluck]

You can order 100% chicory ($1 for 8 oz.!) from New Orleans-based CC's Coffee. What do you use, mjc? Does the recipe mention brewing the chicory or is it maybe an instant version common in Europe?

The tart sounds delicious.

[mjc]

You can order 100% chicory ($1 for 8 oz.!) from New Orleans-based CC's Coffee.  What do you use, mjc?  Does the recipe mention brewing the chicory or is it maybe an instant version common in Europe?

The tart sounds delicious.

I used pure roast chicory that I order from thecajunconnection.com (though now I see its 2x more than at cccoffee). In the recipe you infuse the chicory in water for 20 minutes.

[Wendy DeBord]

I've never tasted chicory, could you describe it please?

[Michael Laiskonis]

The flavor mirrors that of coffee, yet offers so much more... an earthiness and spice. Using it in conjunction with coffee will give you interesting layers of flavor and depth, but I like on its own just fine.

I remember posting the following in a thread over on the France forum, discussing those items one would bring back from a trip there, about a year ago...

My great mission when in Paris was to find a liquid chicory extract that a chef friend turned me on to a few months ago. Far and away better than granules. Eventually found it at La Grande Epicerie on Rue du Bac (or is it Rue du Sevres?) in the 7th. Brought back armloads of it.

and...

Most Americans would know chicory as a coffee substitute (roasted and ground) and is quite common in New Orleans where it is added to coffee itself (the name of the specific drink escapes me, though I think the famous Café du Monde serves it). The liquid chicory, as it was explained to me by a French expatriate, is a favorite children's after-school drink, added to hot or cold milk, with a little sugar. I use it in ice creams, sauces, chocolates, etc. The liquid is nice; there can be a bit of guesswork with infusing granules. A little goes a long way! I do not, however, know exactly how the extract is produced.

I don't have the bottle in front of me, but the brand is Leroux, dark brown bottle with a yellow cap and maybe 250 ml or so. About 2-3 euros. The few super-marchés I went to didn't carry it.

Ken Oringer, along with his maitre d', Christian, at Clio in Boston, initially turned me on to the liquid extract. I used the last of my stash from last summer a couple of months ago... I think it is time to go back to France and pick up some more!

[Pongi]

Do you really love that stuff?

Here in Italy, only people who cannot drink coffee for some reason buy chicory coffee (for example, it's very diffused in hospitals) which is considered, like barley coffee, a very poor substitute of the real thing.

Could that depend on the fact that we prepare coffee beverages much more concentrate than you, and this way chicory coffee becomes awful?

Pongi

[babyluck]

Chicory definitely has a mixed reputation over here too. It has been used as a coffee substitute and extender since pioneer days -- it is still much cheaper than coffee. In New Orleans, it surpassed its heritage as a necessity and became a taste of choice. However, in other areas of the country it is still stigmatized as a cheap imitation. I was in a traditional coffee shop near where I live and said to the waitress, "This coffee is delicious -- does it have chicory in it?" She was offended and said, "Absolutely not -- I would never do that..." and proceeded to tell a story about her coffee vendor who tried to pull one over on her by adding chicory to the mix. Honestly, I think she had been tricked again because I know that coffee had chicory in it.

I guess it is among the older generation here that chicory has a negative association -- it was probably used during the Depression and WWII. In my generation, it is an acquired taste -- I don't know many people who share my love for it. But when mixed with coffee New Orleans style, it is far from weak -- in fact, I think it is too strong and European in taste for most Americans I know. Similar to French roast coffee, and served the same way, either as cafe au lait or black.

Michael, I'll ask my boss to pick me up some extract in France if he is nearby that shop -- he's from New Orleans, and a dedicated coffee-and-chicory drinker. Everyone else in the office groans when we make it at work. Until then, I'll experiment with the New Orleans stuff. I have 10 bags of chicory from CC's just to make sure I won't run out!

[Jon Tseng]

In the UK there is (or was) a brand called Camp (sic), which came in bottles - a dark, treacly substance - very refreshing when made up with ice-cold milk

cheerio

J

[Anna N]

In the UK there is (or was) a brand called Camp (sic), which came in bottles - a dark, treacly substance - very refreshing when made up with ice-cold milk

cheerio

J

Until I came to Canada in 1958, Camp's Coffee Essence was as close as I ever came to coffee. My aunt made Sunday morning "elevensies" with hot milk and Camp's Essence and served it with her homemade raspberry jam-filled Victoria sponge cake! I loved it then but have never had it since. I see it is available here and have actually lifted a bottle from the shelf and then put it back. Why spoil a memory?

Anna