The smell of the dry blend is rich and vanilla-y with a nutty undertone. It turned a bit more herbal as the tea steeped and the colour was super dark – like a cup of black dark-roast coffee, I guess.
The first sip was shockingly bitter but after that inital mouthful the flavour improved. I almost never drink coffee (because it makes me hideously ill) but I imagine that it’s meant to taste similar to it – I know that chickory root was used as a coffee substitute when the latter was too expensive or scarse (such as the infamous Ersatz coffee). It’s maybe a bit strong for my tastes, but I’m tempted to try it with milk and/or honey next time. Colour me intrigued. :D
Preparation
Boiling
5 min, 0 sec
The Ersatz blend I’ve tried is mild enough you can drink without additives, but it has some roasted rice in it instead of straight-up chicory.