Too much coffee?
Perhaps you have trouble sleeping, are tired of yellow teeth, have a stomachache, are afraid of consuming too much caffeine, are almost addicted...? Perhaps coffee is not the perfect beverage and that is why there are nice alternatives. These include chicory, barley coffee, spelt coffee and Yannoh !
Coffee, the traditional drink par excellence and consumed throughout the world
Coffee comes in many forms and is the most widely consumed hot drink in the world. It also contains the most caffeine. While moderate coffee consumption seems to have beneficial effects on the health of most of us, according to many recent studies excessive consumption can have adverse effects on blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular problems. On the other hand, people may wish to reduce or even eliminate their coffee consumption, for medical reasons or simply for taste.
What are coffee substitutes?
Coffee is obtained by roasting beans. Roasting involves exposing the beans to a temperature above 180°C, ideally without a flame; the chemical reactions that take place give the coffee its aroma. Once the beans are ground, the flavours are released into the hot water.
Coffee substitutes use the same principle: toasting a food, sometimes with the addition of fat or sugar (to give extra flavours like caramel). Substitutes, while providing a rich taste, have the advantage of not containing caffeine. Some are also gluten-free.
A bit of history?
During periods of embargo or famine, coffee was replaced by roasted and then ground oak acorns. Napoleon encouraged its use for the poor and it was used during the Second World War. But these are other stories.
Simple coffee substitutes
The best known and most widely used coffee substitutes are: chicory, barley coffee and spelt coffee.
Chicory : Chicory is a root present and cultivated in Europe. It is harvested in autumn, dried and then roasted. This means that the plant is slowly heated up to 130 degrees and blended until its brown colour and unique taste, between hazelnut and coffee, is obtained. It is also invigorating and could be detoxifying and transit stimulating.
My grandparents used to add a spoonful of dried and roasted chicory to the filter of their coffee maker. This practice was lost with the arrival of coffee capsules and the reduction in the price of coffee.
Barley coffee : Barley coffee is made from roasted barley malt, which is also grown in Europe. The taste of the drink is similar to roasted hazelnut and is also very similar to coffee. The main difference with coffee is that barley coffee does not contain caffeine. As an added bonus, this barley "coffee" is rich in fibre.
Spelt coffee : Spelt coffee is also caffeine-free and rich in minerals (Mg, K, Ca, ...). Like barley, spelt is a cereal. It is made from roasted spelt and its taste is quite similar to that of coffee. Spelt coffee is also rich in carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids. People with gluten intolerance can consume natural spelt coffee.
For variety or testing, roasted buckwheat and dandelion (similar to chicory, but different) or even roasted date pits can be found.
Compound coffee substitutes
Some creative and inventive producers offer blends of beans and other roasted plants. The mixture provides a greater richness of taste. Two organic brands stand out in this field : A.Vogel and Lima.
A.Vogel offers their « Bambu » blend made from chicory, Turkish figs, wheat, malted beans and Greek acorns. It does not have to be 'strained' like a traditional coffee but dissolves in hot water
Lima, a Belgian company, offers their « Yannoh » which comes in several flavours.
Yannoh, a black beverage launched by the Lima brand, is an alternative to coffee. It is a caffeine-free beverage made from roasted cereals (barley and rye), with chicory and acorns. Because the beans are roasted at a low temperature, Yannoh has a very smooth and aromatic taste. Yannoh is gluten-free as gluten is removed during the production process.
Lima's founding father, Georges Ohsawa, therefore formulated and named this product YAN-NOH, "yang drink".
How to use coffee substitutes?
Through your mouth, of course. But more seriously, Yannoh is prepared like coffee, simply mixed with hot water.
Where to find coffee substitutes?
To date, Yannoh is only available in the Lima brand and is available on our website www.kissplanet.shop.