Nourishments—

Choffy: The Uncoffee

By Nancy K. Crevier

I have a lot of fond memories of drinking coffee, beginning with my preschool days when my Aunt Helen would fix me a special glass of “Coffee, Please” when she poured herself a cup of midmorning Joe. “Coffee, Please” was a child friendly concoction of 99 percent milk, a healthy dose of sugar, and a splash of coffee. By the time I was in my teens, though, I had “Folgers in my cup” as I visited with Aunt Helen.

My dalliance with caffeine waxed and waned over the years, and in those dark, sad, caffeine-free periods of my life I devoted a lot of time to finding a satisfying coffee substitute.

Most of the coffee alternatives I tried were grain beverages. Postum has been around for decades, a wheat and molasses based drink. I found it surprisingly satisfying on a cold winter morning, as was Cafix, a barley and chicory beverage. Swiss-made Pero has fit into my caffeine free moments, a blend of malted barley, chicory and rye. Roastaroma is another caffeine free drink I have used as a coffee replacement at times. A blend of barley, chicory, carob, malted barley and carob powder, it has a smooth, round flavor that is comforting.

Of course, I dabbled in decaffeinated coffee and herbal teas, as well, with some brands better than others.

Even when the flavor of a coffee substitute is good, though, what is always missing is the kick of caffeine. Usually, when I quit coffee, it is because I resent that I am addicted to it to the point that I dread skipping a day and suffering through a caffeine headache. Black or green tea does not alleviate that pounding pain. If I make it through the headache, the sense of purity is soon replaced with a lack of energy. Like the good coffee addict I am, half a cup creeps back and is soon a full cup, followed by a second cup.

So when I came across a product called Choffy, I was intrigued. Available at www.DrinkChoffy.com, it is a drink brewed from 100 percent premium roasted and ground cacao beans, with no additives. Purported to be “richer and more robust” than hot chocolate, and non-addictive but providing an energy punch, I was curious. The Choffy public relations department provided The Bee with a 12-ounce bag of its signature Ivory Coast blend to try. The company, founded in 2009 by Jason Vanderhove and Jason Sherwood, and based out of Vancouver, Wash., also makes a La Espanola Choffy, of limited edition single estate cacao beans, from the Dominican Republic.”

Ivory Coast is described as “single estate organic cacao beans from the Dominican Republic. They impart deep, rich yet smooth chocolate flavors with delicious nutty overtones.” The Choffy people stress, however, that the terms “chocolate” and “cacao” are not interchangeable. Choffy is more than a cup of unsweetened hot chocolate.

Choffy makers tout the health benefits of this drink. One 8-ounce cup of Choffy provides more detoxifying antioxidants than a serving of blueberries, is high in Flavanols, and is rich in the chemicals phenylethylamine and anandamide that increase focus and alertness, and provide feelings of elatedness. Polyphenals found in cacao “have a positive effect on the activity of enzymes associated with the digestion of fat and carbohydrates,” Choffy cites from recent studies, making it a potential tool in weight management.

The energy boost, according to literature provided by the makers of Choffy, is due to the dilation of the cardiovascular system caused by the naturally occurring stimulant theobromine, found in cacao beans. Theobromine is a vasodilator that improves blood circulation while reducing blood pressure. It increases the heartbeat, but opens blood vessels and can cause a reduction in blood pressure.

Like coffee, Choffy can be brewed in a coffee maker (2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water) or in a French press. It can be drunk black or lightened with cream, milk, or milk substitute. The maker suggests vanilla cream in particular, as a complement to Choffy.

We decided to make the Choffy both ways, brewed one day in a coffee maker, and brewed another day in the French press.

Our Day One experiment was met with moderate excitement. Bee workers gathered around the coffee maker. The burbling sound of water in the unit segued into a slow drip, drip, drip, then a trickle of deep brown liquid poured into the glass carafe. It was Choffy time.

We filled our cups, took a collective whiff, and cautious sips. Our eyes told us “coffee,” but our noses said, “chocolate.” Brewed as directed, all four of the testers felt it was a bit too light in flavor and color. The flavor was pleasant: not coffee, but a smooth flavor with chocolate overtones that were not bitter. It was far more refined than a cup of hot cocoa, with a more adult appeal.

We tasted it black, and with coconut creamer and with half and half added. Reactions were reserved. One tester ended up adding it to her cup of coffee, declaring it a good match.

Although theobromine does not act on the central nervous system, like caffeine it can contribute to sleeplessness, tremors, restlessness, or anxiety in some individuals. Choffy literature provided with the Ivory Coast sample states that theobromine delivers “energy without a crash or other negative effects of caffeine.” One tester at The Bee reported a sense of nervousness, though, much like that of drinking a very strong cup of coffee, following the taste test. Like caffeine, the amount of theobromine that creates unwanted side effects varies from individual to individual.

For Day Two, we made Choffy with the French press. Again, the result was less than perfect. Still thin tasting to our coffee palates, the sensory confusion of seeing what looked like coffee, but smelled and tasted of chocolate, was distracting.

I am sad to report that by Day Three, none of the other testers cared to try Choffy again. Left to my own devices, I tried brewing it with a higher Choffy to water ratio (2½ tablespoons to 6 ounces water) in the coffee maker that day. It produced a more deeply colored beverage, far more appealing. The chocolate aroma, however, seemed overpowering — not what I seek first thing in the morning.

It seems that perfecting a cup of Choffy may take some experimentation to find the best ratio of water to Choffy for different coffee makers or presses. One tester suggested a bit of sweetener, or perhaps orange peel added to the grounds during the brewing process to enhance the depth of flavor.

Containing no sugar, gluten, dairy, or chemicals, and with only 20 calories in a cup, Choffy is a beverage that can provide those with food sensitivities (unless that food sensitivity happens to be cacao) or a dislike of coffee an option for a brewed beverage that offers an energy boost.

It is nice to know that options are available, but I have a feeling Bee Publishing Co. workers will still be swarming the local coffee shops.

Choffy is currently available in stores in limited northwestern locations of the United States, but can be purchased at its online store, www.DrinkChoffy.com. A 12-ounce bag of Ivory Coast or La Espanola Choffy is $15.