No. 313 - Chicory

I am reading Rut by Scott Phillips. What is unique about this book is how I got it. The publisher, Concord Free Press, sent it to me for free including the postage. The catch? There isn't one. They hope that you will do three things: read the book, make a donation to any cause or someone in need, and then give the book to someone else, who will repeat the cycle.

Neat idea. And the book is very good. The publisher's website describes the novel as:

Rut takes readers to the Rocky Mountains circa 2050, where the once thriving burg of Gower is about to become a 21st-century ghost town. Thanks to extreme weather and plenty of toxic waste, the skiers and celebrities are gone, along with the money and the veneer of civilization. What’s left? Old-time religion and brand-new pharmaceuticals, bad food and warm beer, mutated animals and small-town gossip. Can the town survive? We’ll see.

Throughout the story the characters are often mentioned drinking something called chicory. Today on page 134 I read:

"You want me to make you a cup of chicory?"

"Sure," she says, and she sits on the couch, a creaking, cream-colored thing upholstered with what seems to be real, very brittle leather, its spidery network of cracks repaired haphazardly with silver duct tape.

I thought chicory might be a type of tea.

I learned that chicory is a hardy perennial plant with blue-lavender flowers. It has a variety of uses, but is best known for its association with coffee.

When the root of the chicory plant is dried, roasted, and ground, it makes an excellent substitute for coffee. It has no caffeine and offers a smooth roasted flavor comparable to coffee.

At many points through history, coffee has become unavailable or too costly. During these times, people have often turned to roasted chicory as a substitute. Another perk about chicory is that it's more soluble in water than coffee, which means you use a lot less of it when brewing. It is very economical for someone on a tight budget, like the townspeople of Gower in the novel.