Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-15
SUBSTITUTES FOR COFFEE
VEGETABLES PARCHED AND USED
FOR DRINK.
Beverages Made From Cereals With
out Caffefn and Its Stimu1at-
ing Properties.

Coffee substitutes of domestic manufac-
| ture have long been known, according to q
| recent bulletin of the Department of Agri-
| culture. An infusion of parched corn, or
| corn coffee, has net with some favor in
| the household as a drink for invalids, etc.
! Parched wheat, peas, beans and corncobs,
| as well as sweet potatoes, cut into small
| pieces and dried and parched, have also
been used.
Such drinks writes the aIthor of the
bulletin, ARE usually resortcd to in times
of scarcity, or when, for one reason or an
ether, it is not possible to obtain true cof-
fee. Chicory is also a well-known substi-
tute for coffee, although it is generally
used mixed in larger or smaller proper
ton with true coffee, and by many such
mixtures are preferred to coffee alone,
the chicory is thought to improve the fla
vcr.
There has recently appeared on the mar
ket considerable number of coffee substi-
tutes which generally claim to be made
from cereals. In most cases the claim is
also made that such beverages are espe-
cially wholesome, and in some cases that
they have high food value. The value
as food of coffee any such beverage is
evidently due to the material extracted
from the coffee Cor other substance) by The,
water used, and to the sugar and milk or
cream aCdsd to the infusion. AS the bulk
or the infusion is water, it is obvious that
! the food value cannot be great
The composition of a large number of
samples of coffee and coffee substitutes has
been studied at the Connecticut state sta
ton The food value of coffee substitutes
has been studied by the Maine station.
! The Connecticut state station found that
While some coffee substitutes contain a
/ little true coffee. probably added to give
, them flavor, most We're. as they claimed,
free from coffee. Such goods usually
, composed of one more roasted grains
(barley, wheat etc). pea hulls, and paste
made of wheat middlingS Flour. meal and
other ground grains contain a little solu
bic material, but, as is well known, the
! bulk of the material in them is insouble.
| When the cereals are roasted a portion of
the carbohydrates is caramelized and rem
dered soluble. 1t is therefore undoubtedly
true that the roasted material is more sOlu-
bic than the unroasted. The infusion of
the cereal coffees studied at the Maine sta
ton was in every case made according to
the directions accompanying the material.
The amount of the cereal coffee which was
recommended to be used varied cOnSidera
bly, and consequently the strength of the
infusion varied within rather wide limits.
When made according to directions,
pound of material yielded from twenty to
$50 cups.
The average amount of soluble mat arial
in the different samples, and hence the to-
tai food material in the infusion, not count
ing sugar and milk or cream added varied
from 22.l to 51.2 per cent. This was made
up of from IA to 40 per cent protein, ia
to 40 per cent carbohydrates and l. to
Al ash. The average cereal coffee infusion
had the following percentage composition:
Water, $50; protein, %. and carbohy-
drates, II, while the fuel value was 50
calories per pound Skim milk, which is
ordinarily considered rather thin bevar-
age. contains 30 per cent protein. O.:t per
cent fat, >. ID per cent carbohydrates AID
0.S per cent ash, almost twenty times
as much food material as the average of
the beverages made from cereal coffee. If
made according to directions, one would
have to drink four and One-half gallons Of
an infusion of one of them which made an
especial claim to high nutritiVe value in
order to get as much food is contained
in quart of skim milk.
The comments here made are in no wise
intended to condemn these beverages but
to point out that the claims for great nu-
tritiVe value are not founded on fact
Whether hot beverages are not NV
gicnic a chemical study cannot show but
from the chemical composition of the infil-
siOns it is a simple task to pass upon ,Iraii
merits as food.
The infusion of true coffee also contains
very little nUtritiVe material. However it
is not ordinarily consumed on account of
it's food value, but on account of it's agree
able flavor. 1t also contains a small amo.lnt
of an alkaloid, caffein, which has stimI-
lating properties This is entirely lacking
In cereal cofees If they are, as they clam
made entirely from cereal grains"