Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-01
= COFFEE AND ITS. SUBSTITUTES.


; The use of coffee as beverage seems to have
originated among the forks in Arabia, from whence
it was'carried to Europe in 1869. It has gradually
become national beverage to Europeans and Amer
leans, well as the Moslems and it has been called
one of the chief necessaries of life among the peo
pie" The coffee bean is the seed of Co6sa Ara5ico
shrub which grows to about the height Of 80 feet
but is usually cut downto about six feet to increase
the yield of the beam Its cultivation was confined
until within the past century to Egypt and Arabia,
but is now cultivated in the West India and East
India Islands also in Brazil upon most extensive
SCALE single tree sometimes yields about twenty
pounds OF beans, and about ], 100 pounds are OBJ
tanned as the crop of one of land There arc
number Of varieties of coffee, but Mocha or Arabian
is sill the most famous. Its beans small and of
dark yellow color Java is larger bean, and the
color is paler yellow; West India and Brazilian
coffee is of a bueish grey color.
Psychologists have endeavored to account for the
extended use of coffee by ascribing to peculiar
quality for preventing the waste of animal tissue in
the living being This principle is called caffeine,
and is composed of carbon 3, nitrogen 2, hydrogen
10, and oxygen, 8 parts. Roasted coffee contains
about - 30 parts. of caffeine. In roasting coffee
great care should be exercised not to overhead it.
because the Catherine in it's so liable to volat,lize
The best temperature to roast coffee is 1899 Fab,
and the operation should be performed in close
revolving vessel. When the beans haye assumed q
bright brown color, they should be cooled if posi-
ole, In the vessel in which they have been roasted
so as to retain all the aroma that has been developed
oy the roasting operation. Burnt coffee beans are
just as suitable for making an infusion as charsed
wood Upon no account, therefore, should coifa6
beans be so heated Is to char them Coffee should
never be boiled because the boiling action volatiIi
yes the aromatic rosin in it. and this constitutes
nearly three per cent of the beans. II should be
ground as finely as possible, and scaded with water
heated to the boiling point 1t can be clarified with
the white Of eggs or islnglass This information re-
lates to pure coffee.
In Germany and England the poorer classes, who
cannot afford to buy coffee, mixtures of it. and
IN many cases, other substances as entire substi-
tutes In Germany dried yellow turnips and Chi
cory root mixed together ara employed as substi-
tute; chlcory is also very generally mixed with |
common coffee in England Lately, several mix.
lures and substitutes for coffee have become more
common among our own laboring people on account
OF the great rise in the price of coffee. In some of
OF our country villages German families roast acorns
and use these as substitutes for coffee. Roasted
rye is an old and well known substitute and so is
" Cobbelts" coffee, which consists of roasted corn
Many persons roast white beans and peas and mix.
Them with coffee, others roast carrots and beets and
make a mixture of them with coffee. In some parts
u France mixture ofequal parts Of roasted chest.
nuts aud coffee is used
1t makes very superior beverage to chcory,
urulrS, and all the other articles mentioned The
institutes for coffee are innulnerabe, and so far as
aste is concerned this is mere matter of cultva.
ion. If any Of these substitutes for coffee contain
caffeine or similar principle, they would an.
wef the same purpose, and their should be in
uicated but in all the analysis that We have ex.
mined Of chicora, turnps, carrots, beets, peas,
cans, corn and rye, no such substances as caffeine
mention, therefore they are not true substitutes
n 1T in chemical and physiological sense We
ave been unable to obtain u satisfactory ANALYSIS
chestnuts and acorns, but it is well known that
,ese contain fannie acid, and it is certain tina, caf
nc acid Is very nearly allied to it; hence they may
ave close resemblance to coffee in taste, and per
APPS in effect also.-Scientifc american,