, 1901-01-24

Coffee substitutes of domestic manu-
Sacture have long been known. An
infusion of parched corn, or corn cof-
fee, is favored in some households az
a drink for invalids. Parched wheat,
peas, beans and c%orncobs, as we'll as
sweet potatoes, cut into small pieces
and dried and parched, have also been
used. Such drinks usually are resorted
to In times Of scarcity, or when, for
one reason or another, 1t is not pos
sible to obtain true coffee. Chicory
Is also a well-known substitute for COT
fee. and 1t is used also mixed in larg-
Or or smaller proportion with true cof-
fee. and by many persons such mix
lures are preferred to coffee alone, as
the chicory Is thought to improve the
havors. On the market are many cof-
fee substitutes which, 1t is asserted,
are made from cereals, and therefore
such beverages are considered especi-
ally wholesome and to have a high
food value. The value as food of cof-
fec or any such beverage is due to the
material extracted from the coffee Cor
other s~ubstance) by the water used.
and to the sugar and milk or cream
added to the infusion. AS the bulk
Of the infusion is water, 1t is obvious
that the food value can not be great.
The composition of a large number Of
samples Of coffee and coffee substi-
tutes has been studied at the Connecti-
cut state agricultural station. The food
value OF coffee substitutes has been
studied by the Maine agricultural sta
ton. The Connecticut state station
found that while some coffee substi-
tutes contain a little true coffee, prob
ably added to give them favor, most
were free from coffee. Such goods
were usually composed Of ne or more
roasted grains (barley, wheat, etc.,.
pea bulls, and a paste made Of wheat
middlings. Flour, meal and other
ground grains contain q little soluble
material, but, A. u well known. the
bulk Of the material In them il tn
soluble. When the cereals are roasted.
a portion IL rendered, soluble. making
the roasted material more soluble
than the unroaSted. The infusion of
the cereal oofiees studied At the Maine
station was in every ease made &C.
cording to the directions accompany
ing the material. The amount Of the
cereal coffee which was recommended
to be used varied considerably. and con-
sequently the strength Of the infusion
varied within rather wide limits. When
made according to directions, a pound
Of material yielded from 20 to 100 cups.
The average amount Of soluble mater
ial in the different samples land
hence the total food material in the
infusion. not counting sugar and milk
or cream added) varied from PA to
61.2 per cent. Skim milk, which is
ordinarily considered a rather thin
beverage, contains almost twenty times
as much food material as the average
Of the beverage made from cereal COT
fee. II made according to directions,
one would have to drink four and a
half gallons Of an infusion Of n OF
them which made an especial claim to
high nutritive value in order to get as
much food ~ is contained in a quart
Of skim milk. The infusion of true
coffee also contains little nutritive ma
terial. However, 1t Il not ordinarily
consumed on account Of its food value.
but on account of its agreeable favor.
It also contains q small amount of an
alkaloid, cafein, which has stimulat-
ing properties. This is entirely lack
ing in cereal cofiees II they are made
entirely from cereal grains.