Introduction

The opening chapter outlines the previous research on coffee substitutes, the history of the initial emergence of coffee and coffee substitutes, as well as debates on coffee in nineteenth-century Swedish society. The chapter examines the discourse surrounding coffee with a particular emphasis on consumption patterns, discussions about new social habits and moralization on the act of coffee drinking, the dichotomy between necessity and luxury, notions of healthiness versus consumption, nutritional and economic considerations, gender dynamics, and, finally, a criticism of colonization during the nineteenth century. The notions of substitute, surrogate, and alternative are extensively explored in both their historical and contemporary settings. Thereafter, the theoretical assumptions about intersectionality, innovations, and the theory of change are presented. Finally, the chapter explores the links between historical culinary practices and plant growing, which are associated with the reenactment part of the book.