Lupin, acorn, chicory and dandelion coffee: healthy, environmentally friendly coffee alternatives

Coffee substitutes failing to get your juices flowing? It might be time for a rethink. While Switzerland consumes about 1,000 cups of joe per capita each year (website in German), making it one of the country’s most popular drinks, coffee poses its fair share of environmental and ethical problems.

Fortunately, there are sustainable coffee bean alternatives out there, each with their own unique characteristics. Leaving energy-boosting teas such as green tea and matcha out of the equation, it’s worth considering «true fakes». In other words, drinks that aim to emulate coffee (surprisingly well in some cases). Before we go over them, let’s get into why coffee can sometimes be a contentious political issue.

The dark side of real coffee

Conventional coffee cultivation often results in forest clearing, leading countless animal and plant species to lose their habitat. That’s before we even mention the increase in CO₂ emissions it generates. What’s more, many coffee-producing countries face issues such as low wages, poor working conditions and limited access to healthcare and education. This isn’t necessarily the case 100 per cent of the time – Fair Trade and direct trade go towards remedying these issues. These initiatives, however, make coffee expensive. Environmental concerns and poor working conditions are certainly partly responsible for sparking interest in – and a trend towards – coffee alternatives.

Another trigger for the fad, however, is that excessive coffee consumption is also questionable from a health perspective. Although various studies attribute benefits such as a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes to drinking coffee, caffeine can also trigger panic attacks. What’s more, the drink isn’t actually the pick-me-up it’s made out to be.

Pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions may need to limit their coffee consumption or discuss it with their doctor. Especially since caffeine tolerance and sensitivity varies from person to person. Your genes determine how quickly your liver breaks down the substance and how sensitive you are to it, consequently determining how badly it affects your sleep.

There’s an alternative: the main coffee substitutes

Coffee alternatives have a long history, going back to the era when coffee was less accessible as a result of war- or crisis-induced shortages or cultural or ecological differences. Coffee needs a specific climate in order to grow. Cultivating caffeinate-free alternatives, on the other hand, is much easier and also possible in the countries that consume coffee in such massive quantities. Each of the plants listed here grows in Europe, often as voraciously as weeds. Using them in various ways makes all the more sense, as they’re very well suited to being made into coffee.

Four homemade alternatives to coffee

Imitating the taste of coffee can be a pretty creative process. You can even make «fake» coffee using figs, rosehips and dates. However, the following alternatives, which you can either make yourself or buy ready-made as a powder, are more common. These caffeine-free varieties are usually mixed with water or brewed in a conventional coffee machine.

Lupin coffee

Lupins are leguminous plants and are considered «native soy». They’ve been used for centuries to make a coffee-like drink. In South Tyrol, for example, Altreier coffee made from lupins and mixed with wheat or barley is a local speciality. To make the DIY version of lupin coffee, remove the kidney-shaped seeds from the pods, gently roast them in a pan, then grind them. This gives you a drink with a similar flavour profile to coffee. Lupin coffee froths up more than regular coffee, so bear that in mind when measuring out your powder and water (and don’t fill your Bialetti to the brim).

While the wild lupin with its many bitter substances is poisonous, blue lupins (sweet lupins) especially are very well suited to further processing as they have comparatively few bitter substances. Rich in protein, they’re often incorporated into gluten-free vegan or vegetarian diets.

Dandelion coffee

Dandelion coffee made from roasted [dandelion roots](/search?q=dandelion roots&is=dandelion) has a rich, earthy taste that’s also reminiscent of coffee. High in antioxidants, dandelion is valued for its potentially liver-detoxing properties. You can also make dandelion coffee yourself. First, dig up your dandelion roots and clean them thoroughly. Start by brushing off the earth, then wash them and cut off any bad spots. Leave them to dry for a day. To prepare the powder, chop the roots into pieces of approximately one centimetre, then fry in a pan (don’t turn the temperature/flame up too high). Lightly brown the chopped roots, but don’t let them turn deep brown. Then, leave the roots to cool before making them into a powder using a blender or coffee grinder.

Chicory coffee

Chicory coffee comes from the root of the chicory plant. It has a naturally bitter taste, making it similar to many types of coffee. Chicory is also a source of inulin, a prebiotic which, according to scientific studies, may also promote intestinal health. Health benefits and science aside, chicory coffee was a step too far for the Galaxus editors when they tried it.

Acorn coffee

With a tart, nutty flavour with a hint of caramel, acorns make for a very tasty cup of coffee. Rich in starch and bitter substances, they also benefit the stomach and intestines and regulate blood sugar. More than enough reason to head for your nearest forest and get gathering. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need a little time to prepare them. First, crack the shell with a nutcracker, then scrape off the thin skin on the acorn halves with a knife. You’ll get this done quicker if you pour hot water over the acorns to remove the skin. After that, the acorns need to sit in warm water for 24 hours to wash away the bitter tannins.

Rinse them until the water stays clear. Quarter the acorns before putting them in the oven or dehydrator to dry. Roast the dried acorn pieces in a pan without oil until lightly browned, then grind in a coffee grinder or blender. Just bear in mind that due to its fat content, the powder goes off quickly.