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The Drink: French Market Restaurant Blend Coffee and Chicory
Type: Medium-Dark Roast
Overall Rating: 1.75 Out 5 Coffee Mugs
This review is about a coffee I would never buy. In fact, I’m sure I would scoff at it. However, one of my good friends moved from New York City to Jackson, Mississippi, and sent along a can of French Market Coffee with an interesting recommendation — more about that in a minute.
The French Market Coffee website describes their blend of chicory and coffee like this:
“Chicory, when mixed with coffee, makes it smoother and more full flavored”
During the Civil War, the port of New Orleans was the second largest importer of coffee after New York. When union naval blockades cut access to the port, New Orleans began adding chicory to their coffee to make it last longer. The unique flavor of coffee mixed with chicory remained popular and became a tradition the city embraced.
To be added to coffee, the root of the chicory plant is baked, ground and then mixed with ground coffee, which results in a very uneven looking grind. The morning I tried this coffee I scooped half of the normal amount into my french press as per the recommendation on the can.
In the first sip I was overwhelmed by a strong salty, spicy taste. The coffee was smooth, without acidity and had a bright finish. As I was sipping I got tastes of brown sugar and berries every now and then. However the intense flavor of spice was a barrier that prevented the sweetness from getting through.
The morning I tried this coffee I was left unsatisfied. The tastes seemed all wrong and not what I wanted to wake up to. In my mind morning flavors are sweeter and mellower making me wonder if there was another time during the day I might be better able to handle the flavors of this coffee. Over the next few days I tried having a late afternoon cup and enjoyed the spicy/saltiness much more at this time.
The friend that sent me this coffee had recommended it by saying, “It’s like angels peeing in your mouth.” I did somewhat enjoy this coffee on the few afternoons that I had it. However, I think after having tried it, I would tell the angels no thank you in the future.
Many restaurants and hotels in New Orleans serve this coffee as part of the visitor’s experience, so you probably won’t have to seek it out when you go. There are, however, too many good coffees out there to try already. French Market Roast earned 1.75 out of 5 on the Daily Shot of Coffee scale.
You can order French Market Restaurant Blend Coffee and Chicory for $7.50 for a 12 oz. can from French Market Coffee’s website.
Fine Print
Years ago we lived across from a family who had grown up in southern Mississippi and Louisiana. We were at their house one night and they asked if we wanted coffee. Of course we said yes. When I drank my first cup I almost gagged! It tasted like someone had dumped the whole shaker of black pepper in there! (I drink my coffee black, so there’s nothing to shade the real taste of the coffee.) Soon he asked us how we liked their Louisiana coffee, and mentioned that it had chicory in it. I told him it wasn’t my favorite (in truth it was disgusting!). Several years later I went to Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter in New Orleans and made the same mistake of getting black coffee. At least that time I went back and loaded it up with sugar and milk so I could down the cup.
Hey Greg,
Great story. Thanks for sharing it.
My friend who gave it to me to try made a few qualifiers to go with the coffee. He never had tried it black, only with lots of cream and sugar and secondly he said his wife thought he was crazy for drinking it.
Geoff
Greg, I made a similar mistake the first time I ordered coffee at Morning Call (similar place to Cafe Du Monde). Since then, I haven’t hesitated drinking coffee with lots of cream when I stop to get fresh beignets. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the only way that coffee should be enjoyed is with lots of cream in the coffee, mixed with the powdered sugar from the beignets.