The Jacobins' black coffee
Ground coffee infused in simmering water, served black and strong, sometimes with added roasted chicory to stretch the precious powder — the frank bitterness of night owls and orators.
Ground coffee infused in simmering water, served black and strong, sometimes with added roasted chicory to stretch the precious powder — the frank bitterness of night owls and orators.
Wine heats heads and loosens tongues too much; I prefer coffee, which awakens the mind without leading it astray. At the hour when patriots keep watch and prepare the next day's speeches, a black bitter cup is worth more than a carafe. One roasts the bean, pounds it, pours boiling water over it, and waits for the powder to settle. Drink it without sugar, citizen, if you wish to keep a clear head to serve liberty.
- •Coffee beans — a good measure (base)
- •Roasted chicory root — a little (optional) (stretch and strengthen)
- •Spring water — as needed (infusion)
- •Sugar — rarely (sweeten (optional))
The Jacobins' black coffee
Ground coffee infused in simmering water, served black and strong, sometimes with added roasted chicory to stretch the precious powder — the frank bitterness of night owls and orators.
Why this dish? Coffee was the fuel of the Revolution: debates, conspiracies and harangues took place in cafés and clubs. Robespierre, tireless orator of the Jacobin Club, belonged to that generation that thought of the Republic cup in hand. Sober otherwise, it suited a man wary of the pleasures of wine.
Wine heats heads and loosens tongues too much; I prefer coffee, which awakens the mind without leading it astray. At the hour when patriots keep watch and prepare the next day's speeches, a black bitter cup is worth more than a carafe. One roasts the bean, pounds it, pours boiling water over it, and waits for the powder to settle. Drink it without sugar, citizen, if you wish to keep a clear head to serve liberty.
Ingredients (period version)
- Coffee beans — a good measure (base)
- Roasted chicory root — a little (optional) (stretch and strengthen)
- Spring water — as needed (infusion)
- Sugar — rarely (sweeten (optional))
Ingredients
- Freshly ground coffee (coarse grind) — 2 tbsp per cup (base)
- Roasted chicory — 1 pinch (optional) (strengthen)
- Simmering water (approx. 92 °C) — 20 cl per cup (infusion)
- Sugar — optional (sweeten)
Method
- Lightly roast and grind the coffee just before use to preserve the aroma.
- Place the grounds (and chicory) in a pot, pour in the simmering but not boiling water.
- Let steep for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once, then let the powder settle.
- Pour gently into the cup, holding back the grounds, or filter.
- Serve black and hot; sweeten only if you wish.
How it was made : In the 18th century, coffee was prepared by decoction or infusion in a pot, long before the modern filter; chicory served to economize on expensive imported beans. Parisian cafés (Procope, Foy) and clubs were the forums of the Revolution, and the drink, a symbol of bourgeois lucidity, stood in opposition to the popular drunkenness of wine.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a small black cup with an orange zest placed on the saucer — the bitterness of coffee awakened by the scent of Robespierre's dear fruit.
Robespierre · Charactorium
