Coffee Common sense German History of "substitute Coffee"

Today Germany is one of the world's largest coffee importers, and Vietnam sends more than a quarter of its coffee exports to Germany each year. But when it comes to Germany, we think of sausages and beer, and no matter how much we go around, we don't think of coffee.

This is because, in the seventeenth century, when coffee spread widely across Europe, Germany had few overseas colonies, unlike Britain and France, which could easily import coffee from its original country. In the 18th century, the German people's enthusiasm for coffee made the local beer economy suffer a great impact, so King Friedrich II of Prussia ordered a substantial increase in coffee import duties. Under the "internal troubles and external troubles", it is increasingly difficult for German people to drink coffee, and it is even more difficult to develop their own coffee culture.

But serious and tenacious Germans found a solution. They invented a coffee substitute called "Muckefuck", whose main ingredient was a European chicory, commonly known today as "coffee grass". Its root hypertrophy, like radish, people also call it "coffee radish." This chicory contains inulin, chlorogenic acid and bitters, which can be mixed with ordinary coffee powder after processing and extraction to enhance the original flavor of coffee. It is a good way to save coffee raw materials.

Germany's economy grew rapidly in the 19th century, and people soon could afford really good coffee."Substitute coffee" was gradually forgotten. However, in the latter part of the two world wars, Germany, which was already at a disadvantage and under the economic blockade of Britain, implemented the food rationing system during the war. Imported coffee has become difficult again, and "substitute coffee" is once again popular.

Examples of people forced to drink "substitute coffee" by war also occurred during the American Civil War. The classic romance novel Gone with the Wind mentions Scarlett, a southern beauty, who felt during the siege of Atlanta that "... even the mixed drink of roasted corn flour and potato flour as a substitute for coffee has never tasted so bad as it does today." Here again we are presented with a recipe for "substitute coffee." I've never tried a combination of roasted corn flour and potato flour, and I don't know how it tastes, but I've added corn juice to my coffee, and it's not that bad.

"Substitute coffee", dandelion root, grape seed, lily root, barley powder, etc., which have been popular in history, are hard for people living in peaceful and prosperous areas to imagine. Today, the only "substitute coffee" that is still popular may be "bean coffee", and it is promoted in the name of health and environmental protection.