Camp.

As with some things, in time word changes, or the meaning changes. I have always known this word camp. It was a drink that has always been in our cupboard when I was a child and teenager. It was always had, with the tall milk bottle, that needed a bottle opener to open it, and the milk did not need to be in the fridge. The other milk that we also had was condensed milk and evaporated milk. There was always a wide variety of drinks on offer, tea leaves, there was no teabags back then, Ovaltine, Horlicks, Milo. There was also lot of cold, two litres of bottled pop, that would be on offer too, from the pop man that came every Saturday to our home. We did not need to be asked to drink, we were always hydrated.

There was also Camp coffee, nice creamy and sweet. Then as new items came onto the market, some things were left behind and maybe, we thought we were getting better and cheaper. It would not have been something I bought, but my Mum, as it was, Mum who did all the shopping.

Before I knew it, Nescafe came on the market and Camp coffee was not used anymore. It is strange now to think of a liquid coffee, compared to a dry one, where more control is used to put the right amount into the cup, or coffeepot. It is even strange now to think we used coffeepots.

Last year, as I was thinking of what to put in my little container so that I had long-life items dated 2024 or longer, I included Camp coffee, as an emergency drink along with the horrible dried Marvel and tinned milk.

Then recently I have seen Camp coffee on the shelf at Tesco as I was looking for alternatives to Cadbury’s hot drinking chocolate.

Yesterday, I decided to try two different coco hot drinking chocolate, as I have read, it is good for me, for memory and other goodies. It will mean, that I would not need to add a lot of it to the cup to make the paste, and it will last longer and taste still nice and creamy, how I like it.

I decided to also by Camp coffee, to try it once again. I was nervous, for I had not had it for years, in decades and wondered if it would still taste the same. It was £1.70 so cheap, I was disappointed that the bottle was no longer glass, I thought is that a clue that the contents will not be the same? The plastic bottle was still a nice comforting shape. Years ago, when I went on holiday abroad, to see my Mum, I had taken over with me, lots of things for myself and her, honey, jam, sauces, and more and all of them were in convenient plastic bottles. Realistically, that was practical as it would have a better chance of not arriving smashed. So, I did not mind those items in plastic bottles, but Camp coffee?

There was no internet back then, so I did not know what chicory was, nor did I care. That was always on the front of the bottle.

I looked up chicory today, on the internet, and I was pleasantly surprised. It is good for me, healthy and organic. It is an herb and not coffee. For some people it will have side affects and they are advised not to drink it. For the majority, it is good.

They are not sure where it originated from some think India or France. It is caffeine-free. I recently heard that some people use coffee to help them with their number two, I did not know that, but reading about chicory it also does that, but in a much milder way.

Chicory is also good for the digestive system and pancreas, it helps us digest fat. Chicory, this unknown thing, has powerful anti-inflammatory action, throughout the body!  It is even good for our liver.

The chicory is actually a common weed, it is eaten a lot in the Mediterranean, it has been labelled one of the, “Healthiest diets on earth,” And doctors recommend it to aid healing for some chronic illnesses and diseases.

In a nutshell, chicory is a win-win food item. Unknown to me yesterday, today, I have respect for it.

I decided to try my Camp coffee. I looked at the bottle to see how much I should put into the cup, it didn’t say. It did say, “Put in fridge after it is open and use within a month,” Well there is no way, I intend to drink all that in a month. I plan to just leave it in the fridge, it will be ok.  At one of the places I worked at, some of the younger staff would put lots of things in the fridge, even vinegar! When I was young, we didn’t put Camp coffee in the fridge, but as this is small and won’t take up much space, in the fridge it will go.

 I gave it a quick shake, as I do with most unopened liquids. I put, just over a teaspoon into my favourite cup. A nice cup is Very important, for wellbeing, I have found. Wherever I see a nice cup or mug I buy it, as that makes the drinking experience, even nicer. The look, the feel, and the contents. It is an unhurried, quality, Me Time.

It said, it contains sugar, so I knew like the hot chocolate I did not need to add any. I put in the evaporated milk and stirred. I added the boiling water, and added more milk.

I smelt it, as that too is important, but my nose for smelling hasn’t been very good for many years. I took my first sip. WOW! It was exactly as I had remembered it. It was sweet, but not too sweet, creamy, and tasted Wonderful! I was not disappointed.

I plan to have it about once a week, as hot chocolate, for now, will be my first drink of the day. I have bought a Tesco cocoa drink and the famous Green & Blacks organic hot chocolate cocoa drink.

I have enjoyed my Camp Chicory & Coffee Essence drink. There is just one more thing to add, it is also Vegetarian.

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 Chicory…..With its woody flavor and nutty aroma, chicory coffee has recently become a must-have in my morning routine. It’s also commonly enjoyed worldwide, including in France and India.

You can not only use it as a tasty, caffeine-free alternative to coffee but also mix it with coffee grounds to upgrade your breakfast brew.

This article takes an in-depth look at the evidence to determine whether chicory coffee is good for you.

Chicory is a flowering plant in the dandelion family. It’s characterized by a tough, hairy stem, light purple flowers, and leaves that are commonly used in salads.

Chicory coffee is made by roasting, grinding, and brewing the roots of the chicory plant. It tastes similar to coffee, featuring a flavor that’s often described as slightly earthy and nutty.

It’s used either on its own or mixed with coffee to complement its flavor.

Although the history of chicory coffee is not entirely clear, it’s believed to have originated in the 1800s in France during a coffee shortage. Looking for a substitute or to stretch out coffee beans, people began mixing chicory roots into their coffee to get their coffee fix.

Years later, during the Civil War, it also became popular in New Orleans when the city experienced a coffee shortage after Union naval blockades cut off one of their ports.

Today, chicory coffee can still be found in many parts of the world and is often used as a caffeine-free alternative to regular coffee.

Chicory root is a good source of fiber, which may improve several aspects of your digestive health.

For example, it may support the health of your gut microbiome, which is believed to be strongly connected to health and disease (6Trusted Source).

This is because chicory root contains inulin fiber, a type of prebiotic that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Several studies have shown that supplementing with inulin could increase the concentration of certain strains of healthy bacteria in the colon (3Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

Studies also show that chicory may improve bowel function and reduce constipation.

One 2017 study had 44 people with constipation take chicory inulin supplements for 4 weeks. Compared with a placebo, it was found to increase stool frequency and softness, thereby improving constipation (8Trusted Source).

In another small study, drinking 10 ounces (300 mL) of chicory root extract daily for 4 weeks significantly improved bowel regularity compared with a control group (9Trusted Source).

 Info From Healthline and RASA