1892 Drinks of the world

DRINKS.

319

chief of these offenders \n England Is the root of the succory, chicory, or wild endive {Cichorium Intybus), which, originally wild, is now extensively cultivated in England ; whilst on the Continent it is very largely grown in France, Germany, Belgium, and Holland, and both home-grown and foreign chicory are largely in our market, the latter fetching the higher price. It does not taste like coffee, nor has it any aroma ; but, when roasted, it gives a dark colour to water, and a bitter taste, as if a great deal of coffee had been used ; and for this purpose it must have been first used in the old coffee-houses. But it is a question whether you buy pure roasted and ground chicory. In Germany it is adulterated largely with turnips and carrots, whilst Venetian red is used to give it a colour. Notice has already been made of the different kinds of coffee, but not the West African species — the Li- berian coffee {Coffea Liber ica) — which has not, as yet, come into common use in England. There are many substitutes for coffee, one of which developed a few years since into a large commercial undertaking, but eventually collapsed. It was Date Coffee, made out of date stones roasted and ground. Among other substances used in lieu of coffee, are the roasted seeds of the yellow water-lily i^Iris pseudocorus) ; the seeds of a Goumelia, called in Turkey Kenguel ; roasted acorns and beans, chick peas, rye and other grains, nuts, almonds, and dandelion roots [Leontodon taraxa- cum), whilst in Africa many berries are used in its stead. J. A.