Coffee Substitute

Roasting Okra Seed as a Coffee Substitute
One of the burning garden controversies of the 1830s
and 1840s was using okra seeds as a substitute for
coffee. The proponents were proclaiming it as the best
thing since ... well, coffee. There were even scammers,
who took advantage of Florida's remoteness and exotic
appeal, calling okra seeds "Florida coffee seeds" and
selling it for the astounding price of $2 a pound to
people who wanted to grow their own.
One old farmer's magazine published Okra Seeds A
Substitute For Coffee - We find in the papers* a letter
signed J. F. Callen, addressed to H. L. Ellsworth,
declaring that the seeds of Garden Okra, when roasted
and used as coffee cannot be distinguished therefrom,
and many who have tried it pronounce it equal to the
best 'Java.' The beverage is perfectly healthy, and as the
seed is easily raised, he thinks it "destined at no distant
day, to expel from our markets one of the most
extensive articles of import."
We know how well expelling coffee from our markets
worked. Okra seeds were revived as a coffee substitute
during the Civil War, when coffee was scarce and
expensive in the South because of the blockade by the
North. As soon as the blockade was lifted, coffee took its
customary place on the table.
In the interest of science I sacrificed a half-cup of seeds
and an hour of my time to roast and brew some
caffeine-free coffee substitute. The resulting concoction
was drinkable, but there was no chance of my
mistaking it for the best Java. With a bit of practice, you
could make a brown, mellow-tasting, beverage.
Although it was definitely better than Postum, I agree
with most of the writers from the 1840s. The best place
for okra seeds is inside the unripe pods, cooked as a
vegetable.
Roasting and brewing okra seeds could be an
interesting activity for a Civil War history class or for
the gung-ho Civil War role-playing group.
RICE COFFEE
A Healthy Alternative
Many people have depended on coffee to perk them up
at the start of a long working day. However, when
heavy coffee drinkers start experiencing ailments
related to their coffee intake, they are advised to ward
off the hot beverage they love.
Coffee drinkers now don’t have to miss the comfy cup.
Rice coffee is now lauded all over the world as a healthy
alternative to real coffee and a lot of coffee drinkers
have already started to get into the habit.
Gone are the days when rice coffee is given as a cure
for “pasma” as the rural folk usually say. It is now
recognized as legitimate beverage for the health
conscious urbanite who are constantly searching for
organic alternatives to commercial consumer goods.
Health Benefits
Rice Coffee has lots of benefits compared to real coffee.
First, rice coffee has a calming effect. It does not
increase the heart rate and blood pressure. It does perk
up the coffee drinker’s day sans the trembling hands,
palpitation and the migraine of a coffee addict.
Second, rice coffee contains the same benefits as
uncooked rice. It contains B vitamins, has insoluble
fiber which helps in having good digestion, has no
cholesterol and is low in sodium. It is therefore good for
those suffering hypertension and heart ailments.
Third and most importantly, Rice Coffee contains
Trigonelline. In an article in The Philippine Star
(September 14, 2008), Dr. Constancio A. Asis, Jr., a
scientist of the Philippine Rice Research Institute
(PhilRice) discovered that rice seeds contains a
compound that can attract nitrogen fixing bacteria.
This compound was later found out to be Trigonelline.
Studies show that Trigonelline has anti-tumor and anti-
cancer properties especially for the cervix and the liver.
It also has anti-migraine, antiseptic, hypoglycemic and
mutagenic properties. It is also found to help prevent
dental caries by preventing the bacteria Streptococcus
mutants from adhering to the teeth.