Chicory/coffee ratio?!
Chicory/coffee ratio?
Does anyone know the proper chicory to ground coffee ratio to make the best coffee? Would it be equal parts chicory to ground coffee...or 1 tbsp of chicory for every 2 tbsp of ground coffee...or....? Thanks for your help.
Answers:
Chicory is the common name given to the flowering plants in genus Cichorium of the family Asteraceae. There are two cultivated species, and four to six wild species.
Flower of Chicorium intybusCommon chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a bushy perennial herb with blue or lavender flowers. Originating from Europe, it was naturalized in North America, where it has become a roadside weed. The roots are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive in the plant's Mediterranean region of origin, although its use as a coffee additive is still very popular in the American South, particularly in New Orleans.
Root chicory (Chicorium intybus var. sativum) has been in cultivation in Europe as a coffee substitute for a long time. Around 1970 it was found that the root contains up to 20% inulin. Since then, new strains have been created, giving root chicory an inulin content comparable to that of sugar beet (around 600 dt/ha). Inulin is mainly present in the plant family Asteraceae as a storage carbohydrate (for example Jerusalem artichoke, dahlia, etc.). It is used as a sweetener in the food industry (with a sweetening power 30% higher than that of sucrose). Inulin can be converted to fructose and glucose through hydrolysis.
Chicory, with sugar beet and rye was used as an ingredient of the East German Mischkaffee (mixed coffee), introduced during the 'coffee crisis' of 1976-9
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Farmers and consumers would buy fresh produce at the farmer’s market and stop in for a strong cup of French roast coffee and chicory. Chicory is a locally grown root that is powdered and mixed into the coffee. It was used at the time less as a flavorizer than a cost-cutting measure to stretch the more expensive coffee beans.
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Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chicory...
http://www.coffeegeek.com/opinions/cafes...
http://www.cajuncreations.com/detail.asp...