Cafe du Monde Coffee & Chicory

Coffee first came to North America by way of New Orleans back in the mid-1700’s. It was successfully cultivated in Martinique about 1720, and the French brought coffee with them as they began to settle new colonies along the Mississippi.

The taste for coffee and chicory was developed by the French during their civil war. Coffee was scarce during those times, and they found that chicory added body and flavor to the brew. The Acadians from Nova Scotia brought this taste and many other french customs (heritage) to Louisiana. Chicory is the root of the endive plant. Endive is a type of lettuce. The root of the plant is roasted and ground. It is added to the coffee to soften the bitter edge of the dark roasted coffee. It adds an almost chocolate flavor to the Cafe Au Lait served at Cafe Du Monde.

The Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory is traditionally served Au Lait, mixed half and half with hot milk. However, people have a personal preference on how they like their coffee. People like their coffee strong and black, or with sugar; maybe with a little more milk, or maybe a little weaker brew. I suggest that the Coffee and Chicory be demonstrated using vacuum bottles to keep the coffee hot, and to give the customer the opportunity to experiment finding their personal preference.