flipSurrogaatkoffie — chicory ersatz coffee
Surrogaatkoffie — chicory ersatz coffee
Why this dish? Real coffee had almost disappeared from the occupied Netherlands. People drank 'surrogaat', a substitute made from roasted roots and cereals. This bitter drink, shared every morning around the Annex table, speaks of daily deprivation as much as the desire to keep a ritual of normalcy.
A hot drink the color of coffee, made from chicory and roasted cereals then infused. Bitter, caffeine-free, but comforting: the gesture of a steaming morning cup, against all odds.
We call it coffee, but between us, it only has the color and bitterness! It's chicory root and roasted grains that we infuse, and you need a lot of imagination to remember the taste of real coffee. Still, in the morning, holding a warm cup in your hands while waiting for the day to pass helps — we pretend everything is almost normal, and sometimes that's enough to hold on.
- •Dried and roasted chicory root — one measure (bitter base)
- •Roasted cereals (barley, rye) — one measure (body and color)
- •Hot water — as needed (infusion)
Surrogaatkoffie — chicory ersatz coffee
A hot drink the color of coffee, made from chicory and roasted cereals then infused. Bitter, caffeine-free, but comforting: the gesture of a steaming morning cup, against all odds.
Why this dish? Real coffee had almost disappeared from the occupied Netherlands. People drank 'surrogaat', a substitute made from roasted roots and cereals. This bitter drink, shared every morning around the Annex table, speaks of daily deprivation as much as the desire to keep a ritual of normalcy.
We call it coffee, but between us, it only has the color and bitterness! It's chicory root and roasted grains that we infuse, and you need a lot of imagination to remember the taste of real coffee. Still, in the morning, holding a warm cup in your hands while waiting for the day to pass helps — we pretend everything is almost normal, and sometimes that's enough to hold on.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried and roasted chicory root — one measure (bitter base)
- Roasted cereals (barley, rye) — one measure (body and color)
- Hot water — as needed (infusion)
Ingredients
- Roasted chicory (powder or root) — 2 tsp (bitter base)
- Ground roasted barley — 1 tsp (body)
- Water — 250 ml (infusion)
- Milk, if available — a splash (to soften (optional))
Method
- If needed, roast the barley dry in a pan until dark brown, then grind.
- Bring water to a simmer and add the chicory and ground barley.
- Let infuse 5 minutes off the heat, stirring.
- Strain into a cup and drink hot, optionally with a splash of milk.
How it was made : From World War I onward, and even more under the occupation, Europeans replaced unavailable coffee with 'ersatz' based on chicory, barley, rye, or even roasted acorns. Chicory, grown in Belgium and the Netherlands, was the star ingredient.
The contemporary twist : Roasted chicory is making a comeback as a caffeine-free evening drink; topped with frothed milk, it becomes a very convincing retro 'latte'.
Anne Frank · Charactorium
