MONTEREY BAY HERB CO CHICORY ROOT Roasted Granules 1 LB - NATURAL Coffee and Tea Substitute - CAFFEINE FREE Beverage CERTIFIED Kosher (1 Bag (16 oz))

This chicory is delicious. A little bit goes very far. And it is a perfect compliment to my coffee.

Being hypersensitive to caffeine even with decaf coffee I was desparate for a coffee substitute that actually resembled coffee. Having a warm cup of coffee with a little sugar and non dairy creamer in the morning is a comfort food that helps ease me into the day. I read about chickory, and remembered my father used to drink a brand of coffee that was blended with chicory when i was growing up. So I gave this a try and I must say it very closely resembles coffee in every way. I make this by the cup full since I only have one cup per day. I use a coffee filter and put a tsp. of chickory in it then fold it in a way to keep it from leaking out. Then I staple it closed. Drop the pouch in a microwave safe cup and let it cook for 1-2 minutes depending on your microwave power level. I sometimes add a dandelion root teabag to my cup as wel for extra benefit and flavor.

I love coffee but it was taking its toll on my gut. I could take or leave the caffeine and have always loved chicory blends. When I learned you could brew chicory by itself (duh) I decided to try it. I have not compared to other brands, but this one is great. I think it tastes basically the same. Satisfies me like a good ole cup o joe minus the bathroom dash afterwards. Mixes with my favorite rotations of cream and cream-like ingredients and various sweeteners. Chicory is naturally bitter compared to some coffee, so if you are a weak coffee drinker it's not likely the best sub for you. That being said you can, just like coffee, experiment with the brew strength of this. I keep trying less chicory with each pot and have yet to make it too weak so the stuff seems pretty potent. Last attempt was half a pot - 6 cups water - brewed with 3T of this grind in my $25 plain ole coffee pot. Delicious!

Tastes the same? As opposed to the norm of politely terse or vaguely opined reviews that reveal little about the product's distinctness and the saintly few who no-nonsense blast out their pros and cons unsparingly, but with consideration and the still fewer who delineate the nuanced experience over time with disclaimers that don't start with "i didn't expect to like this but..." "I was surprised to"... lots of exact percentages here. and guarantees of tasting the same. If people exaggerate or gloss over, rounding up, usually the reviews are more unhinged and less specific but somehow viscerally true seeming. this tastes like chicory. it tastes good. not a huge fan of the packaging. It could have been less toxic/more eco friendly. Is it roasted high heat and if so does this damage the benefits such as vitamin C etc etc as listed in the blurb? I got this for the inulin for anti-inflammatory benefits for my mother. I puzzled for awhile whether I should have gotten the unroasted root. Please don't guarantee it's exactly the same as unroasted, also. I think introducing chicory is a great idea. I think the revolution can take off simply by having a great super-healthful product with packaging that looks like someone cared about it. I'm not saying fancy; it could afford to match the photo, though, to give the impression of brand stability. It's pretty soothing. I ended up drinking some to add some taste to the coffee since my mother doesn't seem to take to it. The granules are huge and they do not dissolve. And indeed they say to filter it like coffee. I imagine there would be more flavor and the process would be more intuitive if they were ground like coffee. I guess I expected something like what I know now must be instant chicory, the kind you mix in. I also got it to add some color to some cosmetics. This does not release much color though I soaked it for a long time. Even less color in oils. Which is what I wanted it for. I will try grinding it but I think the instant might have been a better idea. It is a huge bag, which should be good news for people who have integrated this into their daily lives. I do like it in the coffee, although I don't use a filter and the granules float around throughout the cup, unlike coffee that generally sinks to the bottom. Monterey Bay says it's not sprayed with pesticides but nowhere does it claim organic. i guess it's hard to get certification. I get that but maybe say it? Esp. these days with the unregulated stuff from India which is unfortunate because stuff from their in theory is great. so in terms of taste it's good, i don't know how people keep rattling off these percentages with such aplomb--it's really not exactly the same and i got the sense this was a "hey try chicory it's totally the same!" like, "I can't believe it's not butter" was "exactly like butter" in the 90s. No. Chicory has its own unique and nice flavor. Admittedly I got into it because of New Orleans coffee and chicory-laced cold brew. the practicality and the uses I got it for, were not what I expected, however. I think i will probably take five years to get through this bag in which case I hope my mother discovers its anti-inflammatory efficacy, which I cannot discern, other than the soothing properties of the caramelly flavor, and the fact that it's not coffee so it's soothing by default.

Great as always