Saxon Chicory Coffee (Bliemchenkaffee)
A light coffee, stretched with roasted chicory, served piping hot in a porcelain cup. The modest drink of the Saxons: enough warmth and bitterness to sustain a morning's work, without the luxury of a rich coffee.
A light coffee, stretched with roasted chicory, served piping hot in a porcelain cup. The modest drink of the Saxons: enough warmth and bitterness to sustain a morning's work, without the luxury of a rich coffee.
In Dresden, they mock us for our coffee: they say it is so pale you can see the little flower painted at the bottom of the cup. No matter! Chicory makes it bitter and it warms the studio in the early morning, when light is only a promise on the roof. Drink it burning hot, without ceremony; it is not made for pleasure but to keep the mind awake before the work.
- •Roasted coffee — little (aroma and bitterness)
- •Roasted chicory root — equal parts or more (extender and bitter body)
- •Water — generous (light infusion)
- •Rock sugar — optional (soften bitterness)
Saxon Chicory Coffee (Bliemchenkaffee)
A light coffee, stretched with roasted chicory, served piping hot in a porcelain cup. The modest drink of the Saxons: enough warmth and bitterness to sustain a morning's work, without the luxury of a rich coffee.
Why this dish? Friedrich lived most of his life in Dresden, Saxony, a land of reputed coffee drinkers. For lack of means, coffee was stretched with roasted chicory and served so light that one could see the 'little flower' (Bliemchen) painted at the bottom of the cup. A studio drink, sober and bitter, in the image of the man.
In Dresden, they mock us for our coffee: they say it is so pale you can see the little flower painted at the bottom of the cup. No matter! Chicory makes it bitter and it warms the studio in the early morning, when light is only a promise on the roof. Drink it burning hot, without ceremony; it is not made for pleasure but to keep the mind awake before the work.
Ingredients (period version)
- Roasted coffee — little (aroma and bitterness)
- Roasted chicory root — equal parts or more (extender and bitter body)
- Water — generous (light infusion)
- Rock sugar — optional (soften bitterness)
Ingredients
- Ground coffee — 1 tbsp (aroma and bitterness)
- Roasted chicory (granules or instant) — 1 to 2 tsp (extender and bitter body)
- Water — 500 ml (light infusion)
- Rock sugar or sugar cube — to taste (soften bitterness)
- Milk or cream — a splash (optional) (Saxon roundness)
Method
- Mix the ground coffee and roasted chicory.
- Pour simmering (not boiling) water over and let steep for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Filter through a coffee pot or cloth, as was done in old times.
- Serve very hot in a porcelain cup, optionally with a rock sugar or a splash of milk.
How it was made : Roasted chicory was massively used in Saxony and Prussia to save on coffee, an imported and taxed commodity. It was grown locally, its root dried and roasted. The term Bliemchenkaffee (little flower coffee) ironically described coffee so light that the floral decoration at the bottom of the Meissen cup was visible.
The contemporary twist : Serve it à la dresdoise with a slice of Eierschecke or a simple shortbread, and the famous joke about the little flower at the bottom of the cup as an introduction.
Caspar David Friedrich · Charactorium