Posts tagged "Chicory"
How did chicory, a root native to Europe, become an essential ingredient in South Indian filter coffee?
From its original purpose as filler during times of shortage, chicory is still added to South Indian Filter coffee today and is a subject of much debate. How much is too much & is it even a true ‘kaapi’ when the chicory is removed?
Here we explore the origins of chicory coffee and the added benefits this humble root brings.
Synonymous with a South Indian home is a coffee filter. The filter helps derive the 'decoction' to be used to form the delicious milky beverage known as filter coffee, a staple in many homes and restaurants.
So, what is filter coffee, and how did it come about to be so popular in South India?
The British introduced a coffee-chicory essence in the late 18th century called Camp Coffee. Over time, South Indians started warming to it, albeit after the addition of milk and sugar.
Before the 1950s, chicory was not cultivated in India. So all South Indian filter coffee had European-imported chicory.