Loose Leaf Tea: Ersatz coffee substitute
Tea Company: Ersatz
Tea Company Description: For centuries, “coffee substitutes” have been concocted, especially when stressful economic conditions and/or wars hindered the international shipping of coffee beans. Typically such substitutes have been developed using a variety of roasted agricultural products such as legumes, grain, and natural plant flavorings, often yielding a beverage with little or unappealing flavor.
Today, our food alchemists at The Coffee Trade Company (our charmingly anachronistic enterprise) in Bellefonte, PA have formulated a perfect coffee alternative through careful and tedious experimentation. The result? A satisfying warm beverage with a rich and delicious roasted grain and nutty flavor.
Brewing Instruction: This is sold in packages of 12 brewing-bags; each making one 8-oz. cup of brewed Ersatz. Steep bag in 8-ounce cup of hot water for 3 to 5 minutes and remove. Add sugar and/or cream to taste, as you would coffee or tea. Enjoy!
Ingredients: What’s in Ersatz? Roasted rice, roasted peas, and roasted chicory, in a brewing-bag (teabag). Ersatz is: Caffeine-free, Gluten-free (and Barley-free, unlike some of our competitors), Lactose-free, Soy-free, Peanut-free, Nut-free, Casein-free, All-natural, no preservatives — and actually, believe-it-or-not, tastes good!
Origin: N/A
Review
Dry Leaf Assessment: Although, I am typically involved with loose leaf tea reviews, I took a new challenge and am excited to assess and review an innovative and absolutely intriguing product Ersatz. Ersatz is a coffee substitute that is also suitable for people with gluten intolerance. Thoughtfully packed in sizeable unbleached paper bags, Ersatz smells very toasty. The content of the bags is a mix of grains: roasted rice, peas, and chicory that are visible on the above picture.
Infused Leaf Assessment: The smell is quite similar to the smell of coffee grinds with a smooth nutty note.
Liquor: The infusion is chocolaty brown with malty spicy taste, very reminiscent of coffee excluding the bitterness.
Recommendation: I enjoy occasional a cup of coffee, but my forte is tea. By “tea” I mean actual green, white, Oolong and black tea; sweet discovery from Africa – Rooibos and honey bush; Brazilian mate; traditional herbal tisanes and fruit tea blends. I love all aspects of tea, pure and flavored, rare and familiar…I’m not a snob, I’m an adventurist!
Ersatz is an undoubtedly an exclusive product in my books. I believe it will find a vast audience on the market: people with allergies and intolerance to certain products, coffee drinkers that try to fight a caffeine addiction, adventurists like me and even curiously craving for coffee teenagers. It is safe to drink Ersatz any time of the day! I recommend trying Ersatz and finding a niche for this tasty, innovative drink of new generation on your kitchen shelf! Try it with a splash of cream and a dash of sugar, it will win your heart!
Score: 86 – Very good
