First of all, Postum isn't coffee and Ovaltine isn't chocolate, you know it, I know it, fake news knows it, everybody knows it. Postum instead of coffee is like carob instead of chocolate or kelp instead of black pepper. One of my Grandmas drank Postum along with her oatmeal laced with prunes and drowned in prune juice. She insisted that I should partake in the same at 10 years old. I could drink Postum at 10 because it wouldn't stunt my growth like coffee. Besides along with the prunes, the Postum because of its multiple cups capability without caffeine overdose, aided bowel movement. Her house, her rules, so out of respect I downed the goat food and washed it down further with the steaming vile Postum. I never understood why her constipation became my personal problem. I have never drunk Postum since. As for Ovaltine instead of hot chocolate, well that is a crime. The first ingredient in Ovaltine is sugar, next is grain malts which are also sugar, then a little caramel color and BEET juice (also high in sugar). With a sub like that for chocolate, I will choose carob or be a non-chooser if the world becomes genuine chocolate depleted. I would rather drink hot dark water from rusty pipes and a corroded hot water tank than Postum. Coffee with no cream or sugar and rich dark hot chocolate for me. This discussion has my nerves frazzled with all this talk of fake coffee and fake hot chocolate. I think I will go have a cup of REAL chamomile tea to calm my nerves.
I don't think many people drink Postum believing it is coffee. It's simply another hot drink that a person might choose if they don't like coffee or aren't supposed to drink coffee. (Like the Mormons.) So if you try Postum believing that it will taste like coffee you are bound to be disappointed. I need to work up my courage and taste the stuff!! If it's nasty I won't bother with the cake. (I was just thinking that I have tried other recipes by this same woman and they were less than thrilling results.) I haven't had Ovaltine in years and can't even remember what it tasted like. I do know that even with hot chocolate, sugar is required to make it palatable. (I don't like sugar in coffee, however.)
Ovaltine made its way into the pantry of the home I grew up in. Ovaltine wasn't a particularly likeable drink but was a necessary evil if you wanted a Captain Midnight secret decoder ring.or any other of the Captain's goodies.
That's exactly my reason for wanting Ovaltine back then....the goodies. But my Mom, who would never spend money on something that you could make yourself cheaper, wouldn't buy any. So, we had her hot chocolate instead. Eventually, I did get to taste some Ovaltine. I wouldn't admit it, but I preferred the homemade hot chocolate.
OK, I finally tasted the Postum today, and may I say... Yuck. That's $10 I just tossed into the trash. I don't even want to try the cake recipe.
Your thread about Postum had me looking to see if I still had any of the coffee substitutes around, @Beth Gallagher . I had ordered a dandelion blend last year, and can’t find it. So, I either drank it or have put it in the proverbial “safe place” and can’t find it. Anyway, I went browsing to see what else was on Amazon for a coffee substitute and had good ratings, and found one that has a 2-pack with dandelion in one and raspberry extract in the other one, and both had excellent reviews. It was $20 for one pack and $24 for the 2-pack; so I ordered that one and can try both flavors now. Supposed to arrive next Tuesday, so I will report back in when it gets here and I try it.
I hope you like them, Yvonne. I think my problem was that even though I KNEW the Postum isn't coffee, I still expected it to taste like coffee. It even has a weird smell. If I ever have to give up caffeine, I'll just drink decaff.
Hahaha! For an alternative latte try cutting Postum 50/50 with Ovaltine, that will get your day going. (also your bowels) Ever read the ingredients on Postum? Roasted wheat bran and molasses. Ask yourself how does this differ from goat food? How is that going to taste like coffee? Here is the official Postum ad that I am calling fake advertising. Fake news, I know it, you know it, Donald knows it, Beth now knows it, everybody knows it! Ahhhhh, This is What Wholesome Tastes Like Take a look at the label and you’ll see why Postum is a coffee replacement you can feel good about. First, you’ll appreciate what’s in it: Roasted wheat bran, wheat and molasses. That’s it. These simple, natural ingredients are all we need to produce our signature, full-bodied flavor. You’ll also like what’s NOT in Postum. There’s no caffeine to cause potential sleeplessness, high blood pressure or digestive problems. You won’t find any preservatives, sodium or genetically modified foods, either. Postum is proud to have earned the Non-GMO Project Verified seal from the Non-GMO Project. By keeping to our original 1895 recipe, we’ve maintained a wholesome approach to coffee alternatives from a simpler time. addition by FF: Postum is highly sought after and praised by goats worldwide!
My chicory coffee substitute arrived just now, so I am trying my very first cup. Naturally, I am having the raspberry one first. I didn’t much see or smell the raspberry, but the drink tastes good, and I think that I like it better than any of the herbal coffees that I have tried. It is easy to make, does not clump up (dissolves fast) and one slightly rounded teaspoon was plenty for my large 14 oz cup. I did have about a quarter of a cup of decaf in the cup, so I added the chicory and hot water to that, plus a little more sweetener and creamer. I bought some Ovaltine last time we went shopping, and I might try adding some of that into it and make it a chicory-mocha . Ovaltine is chocolate with malt added, and i like malt, too.
I have been drinking the chicory for over a week now, and I am enjoying it a lot. I think that it is a mind thing. I know it is not going to taste just like coffee, but it has a good flavor that i do enjoy. Pretty much, I make one cup of breakfast coffee in the keurig when I get up, and then have either decaf or the chicory after that one cup. In the evenings, I can enjoy it and know that I am having something that is helping my liver and kidneys, and that satisfies that desire for a tasty hot drink. I never did find the Dandy Blend; but I did find the Teeccino, and I have been drinking that sometimes, too. It can be brewed like coffee, where the Chicoraya is an instant drink that just need hot water.