I’m making a steamy cup of brewed chicory with coconut palm sugar.
Long story short, I can’t have caffeine. It’s been years since I’ve had a cup of steamy black coffee or some orange pekoe tea. I miss them. A lot.
The other day I saw a post in one of my AIP groups about trying chicory. It’s a root vegetable that’s often roasted and ground into granules or powder that you can steep like tea to make a coffee substitute.
This is what roasted chicory root granules look like!
Plus, chicory root can be good for you. It’s high in dietary fiber, so it’s often added to cereals and breakfast bars. It’s also a prebiotic, which helps keep your gut healthy.
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I thought I’d give it a shot, so I snagged a bag of Frontier Co-op Roasted Chicory Root Granules off Amazon last week, and today I tried my first big mug of the stuff.
Roasted chicory root granules can be made into a coffee-like drink.
When I opened the bag, the fragrance reminded me of the seasoning used to make Thanksgiving stuffing. Um, it’s not exactly what you’re hoping for when you have coffee in mind, but I still gave it a chance.
As suggested in the post I read, I used a French press to prepare the drink. You place the granules of chicory in the bottom, then fill the carafe with bubbling hot water, seal the top and wait. It needs to steep for 3-5 minutes. (Can you see me in the French press?)
I’m using a French press to make “chicory coffee”.
While it was steeping, I noticed how reflective the lid was and decided to take a few pics. Why not?
French press selfie time!
When time was up, I pressed the strainer/plunger down slowly to separate the grounds from the flavored water in the French press, then poured.
The directions on the bag mention 1 tsp of chicory per cup of water. I’ve heard that can be pretty strong, so I used 3 tsp for 4 cups of water. Initially, the steamy mug smelled like toasted marshmallows. The first sip reminded me of burnt coffee. After a few sips, the flavor grew on me.
I’m sweetening the brewed chicory with coconut palm sugar.
Then I decided to add a little coconut palm sugar to sweeten the mildly bitter drink. That was a good move and made it taste more like coffee, in my opinion.
This sugar alternative is pretty tasty!
So, does chicory taste like coffee? No. But is it a good caffeine-free substitute? Sure! I’ll be drinking more of this, especially on days when the hubby brews a pot of real coffee and the Heavenly scent drives me crazy.
I miss coffee. But, chicory will have to do.
Until next time,
Choose healthy!
Angela
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