New Orleans Coffee: A Rich History

New Orleans history is steeped in coffee. Cafe du Monde and Morning Call started serving cafe au lait more than a century ago. Outside the Cathedral of St. Louis in Jackson Square, early entrepreneurs like Old Rose provided eager churchgoers with the brew, and it was sold in the French Market beginning in the late 1700s. People gathered for business, socializing, politics and auctions at five hundred coffee exchanges and shops in the 1800s. Since 1978, myriad specialty coffee shops have opened to meet increasing demand for great coffee. Author Suzanne Stone presents the full story of this celebrated tradition, including how chicory became part of the city's special flavor.