An army marches on its stomach
or a few words about food

The basic warm beverage for soldiers at the end of the 18th century was chicory coffee, which came to Poland from Prussia. The beverage has changed very little since then. It is still made from roasted rye, wheat (also spelt) or barley grains and sometimes from dandelion roots, sugar beet or chicory. The first factory to manufacture chicory coffee in Poland was set up in 1818 on the initiative of Ferdynand Bohm in Włocławek, where coffee from roasted corn with an addition of chicory was made. With the passing of time, particularly during the two world wars, chicory coffee was everywhere, as the so-called “ersatz”, i.e. a product which substituted expensive natural coffee. In fact, it has been part of our diet till the present time. This decaffeinated coffee beverage has a very good effect on our health. Roasted from corn grains, it contains valuable fibre, proteins and no fat. Chicory coffee also contains B-group vitamins and such mineral components as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc. Chicory coffee has a good effect on the nerves and protects the heart. It contains insulin, a probiotic which constitutes an excellent food for intestinal microbiome. Served with milk, chicory coffee has additional advantages of increasing assimilability of protein and magnesium by the body. Who would have thought that when drinking chicory coffee, a beverage of our childhood, we go back in time to old fortresses and military camps. Bon appétit!