The Kentucky Coffee Tree

It was brought to my attention yesterday by one of my family members during a discusison about coffee substitutes in the Civil War, that there was a tree that produced seeds that taste exactly like coffee when ground.

He found a book in his library called The Ghosts of Evolution by Connie Barlow. It documents plant-life that has been around for thousands and millions of years and is little known or rare today.

I found the section on the Kentucky Coffee Tree and read it. The tree is quite rare, but grows across the area of the US east of the Mississippi. It is found in the wild, but is easily domesticated. The pods are extremely hard to break and the contents are poisonous to humans when consumed raw.

"Keep children away from the pods of Kentucky coffee tree. Seeds poisonous to humans, but seldom fatal" (pg. 130).

But if you roast the seeds and grind them they are no longer poisonous and can be used to brew. The books states that it tastes just like coffee. One of the people interviewed in the books explains he had served the brew to friends and they did not believe him whne they were told it wasn't coffee.

"Gymnocladus [Kentucky Coffee Tree] was awarded its common name by early white settlers in Kentucky, who used the roasted beans as a cofee substitute" (pg. 130).

Has anyone else heard of this plant or tried the coffee? Does anyone have any other documentation on it? I found it interesting and thought I would share.

[markj]

Greetings,

There seems to be quite a bit of stuff on the Web about the Kentucky Coffee Tree. However, this site takes issue with the notion that any product of this tree "tastes just like coffee":

http://www.killerplants.com/weird-plants/20031211.asp

I guess the taste of any "coffee" from this tree would depend heavily on how well it's prepared. Apparently, at best, it's pretty bitter so I would guess it would have to be "improved" with lots of sugar and creme.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

In the book "Pioneer Life in Kentucky" by Dr. Daniel Drake he mentions using the coffee bean tree before shipments of coffee came regularly over the mountains.

Mark C. Foster

[Miche_Todd]

Wow! Interesting. I have also heard of this tree, but don't think I would want to try the coffee!!! I always wonder about the brave soul that first tried to make the coffee. Exactly how would you come up with the idea to try it?

That's a good question. The pods look like many other pods (particularly the honey locust) that have something on the inside that tastes good. I'm sure someone got the idea that these pods may contain a sweet or nourishing inner seed. Then one thing leads to another and they have coffee. Kind of like inventing the wheel, after you do it you say, "Why didn't I think of that earlier?"

[SparksBird]

Sean,
This topic came up and was discussed before the big crash of '03. I was always curious about their actual use for consumption. However, when I started researching them, I found the same information, that it is poisonous. I also found that it causes diarrhea, headache, and severe dizziness. I think I would rather stick with real coffee, chickory, or sweet potato coffee. Alternate coffee substitutes are just as correct and a lot safer. But, this is just my two cents.


Rick Musselman
Buckeye Mess
GHTI

[SouthernFed]

Originally Posted by SparksBird

Sean,
This topic came up and was discussed before the big crash of '03. I was always curious about their actual use for consumption. However, when I started researching them, I found the same information, that it is poisonous. I also found that it causes diarrhea, headache, and severe dizziness. I think I would rather stick with real coffee, chickory, or sweet potato coffee. Alternate coffee substitutes are just as correct and a lot safer. But, this is just my two cents.


Rick Musselman
Buckeye Mess
GHTI

Living in Kentucky and knowing of this tree I WOULD NEVER PUT ANY PART OF IT IN MY OLD BODY. Beware stay clear of it it can kill you or at the least make you very sick and wish you were dead. My goats will not even eat it.
Ron Orange

Folks- I've been fascinated with this tree for more than 30 years, ever since my Botany instructor, who actually knew everything about plants, failed to identify one- it's a very unusual tree in many ways. I'm a Biologist.

I know a little about it; but clearly not everything. I found this thread while trying to learn more. It has some of the hardest seeds of any plant- put them on a steel anvil, and hit them with a hammer- chances are, you won't dent or even scratch them, but they may break a window as they shoot across the room.

The info on the web is classic- frequently the authorities directly contradict each other. I was fascinated to see so many saying the seeds are poisonous- since, first hand- my 2 year old son found one I'd left in a previously secure location and swallowed it. We called Minnesota Poison Control- they were fascinated, but had never heard of it; they called National Poison Control - same thing. They just reassured us, told us to wait for it to "pass" - we did, it did; no effect on the child; or the seed, which looked exactly the same coming out as going in.

Yes, I'm positive this was actually Kentucky Coffee seed I had.

Many sources say the Indians used the seed for food and drink, roasted, and the settlers learned from them. Several offical authoritative sources say the name comes from the amazing resemblance of the seed to actual coffee beans- they can't POSSIBLY have actually seen the seeds!! There is no resemblance.

One biologist friend from Kentucky, with a hill bred father, told me that his father told him that the "coffee" was NOT made from the seed, but from the "goo" surrounding it.

So - I tried it. In late autumn, I knocked some pods off a tree I know by the Mississippi River - opened them, and carefully tasted the goo. Wow. What I got was the MOST impressive, durable, BITTER flavor I've ever encountered; and I regularly taste weird plants (carefully!)- part of my job. I could not get it out of my mouth for hours, no matter what I used to rinse it out. Really memorable! As a biologist, I have to wonder why - "bitter" usually translates to TOXIC - and is there specifically to prevent animals from eating it. But most seeds like this USE animals to disperse them...

Never say die. I went back to the same tree in spring - now, the pods were falling. Interesting!! Seeds stay high on the tree all winter; fall in spring; hm. I tasted them again- just a bit more carefully. NO BITTER. All gone. Goo still there, kind of slightly sweet - not very interesting. No bitter.

About the goat not eating the leaves - that's one thing there seems to be general agreement on - the leaves are toxic.

If anybody can FIND a living person who has actually made "coffee", and who can tell me how, I really want to know. All the sources I've been able to find are third, fourth, and fifth hand, or "traditionally..." Nice and meaningless.

Thanks - Philip Rutter, Badgersett Research Farm, woodyag@aol.com