It’s not coffee, but people certainly do drink it that way.
Key Takeaways
New Orleans' vibrantculinary culturemakes it a must-go destination for dining enthusiasts.
What Is New Orleans-Style Coffee?
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French roast coffee is a style of dark coffee that leaves the beans tasting slightly sweet and smoky.
But NOLA-style coffee heightens both of those flavor characteristics by brewing the French roast beans with roasted chicory root.
Most New Orleans cafes serve NOLA coffee as “a cafe au lait,” says Sutphen.
What Is Chicory?
The perennial chicory grows sky-blue flowers in the late spring and summer, and it has a long taproot.
How Does Chicory Affect Coffee’s Flavor?
Chicory root and coffee feature complementary flavors that highlight and intensify each other.
“When combined, the flavors are complementary and distinctive.”
How Did Chicory Coffee Become A New Orleans Staple?
Native to Europe, chicory has been grown for centuries across the globe.
However, “it had the disadvantage of not having caffeine,” Sutphen explains.
The practice was really embraced during the Civil War when supplies were scarce," Guevara says.
Whencoffee beansbecame more widely available, palates informed byFrench influenceenjoyed the best of both worlds, Sutphen says.
Many New Orleans coffees will contain both, with the flavors complementing one another.
What was once borne out of necessity has now become part of a cultural identity."
Where Can You Find Chicory Coffee In New Orleans?
The chain originated in New Orleans but is now based in Baton Rouge.
Its menu is packed with Cajun twists on typical breakfast and brunch foods.
And, of course, it serves chicory coffee.
While chicory roots are used in coffee, the leaves of several varieties of chicory areoften eatenas well.
These bitter-tasting greens are often used in salads or sauteed in pastas.
Their flowers are also sometimes blanched to make the leaves sweeter.
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University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Research & Extension Cooperative Extension Service.
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Woodmansee JE.Blue Roadside Flower - Chicory.
Purdue University - Extension.
2021;26(6):1814.
Published 2021 Mar 23. doi:10.3390/molecules26061814
Cleveland Clinic.Does Inulin Help Improve Gut Health?Published March 4, 2022.
