Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
Rats didn’t take over the city by being foolhardy.
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Estonia Kolkja Chicory Museum
Gastro Obscura

Chicory Museum

See tools once used for processing this coffee-substitute plant before sampling its flavor firsthand.

Kolkja, Estonia

Added By
ahvenas
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Dried (left) and roasted (right) chicory   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
A chicory drying oven   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Chicory blossom   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Special chicory knife   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Special knife for cutting the roots   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Powder for making an instant drink   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
  ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Chicory plant   ahvenas / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Chicory is a perennial plant native to Europe whose roots were once commonly harvested, roasted, and used to make food and drinks. In Kolkja, Estonia, the Chicory Museum tells this culinary history via artifacts from the heyday of the versatile root as well as a few offerings of chicory-based delights.

Housed in a room built in 1893 for the purpose of drying chicory, the museum hearkens back to when beverages made from its roots were popular across Europe. In Germany, a drink made from chicory was known as “Prussian coffee,” as the flavor resembled a cup of Joe. As coffee beans became more accessible, however, the consumption of the chicory plant became less common.

Chicory farming around Estonia’s Lake Peipus region dates back to the 1870s, where it continued until World War II, when many of the fields and processing facilities were destroyed. To transform the plant into a beverage, producers cut the roots with special chicory knives and put them into ovens for drying. (An oven-load of roots took about two days to dry at 104°F.) The dried chicory was then roasted, milled to a fine powder, and mixed with water. Visitors to the Chicory Museum can see an original chicory oven along with the other tools that were used in this process.

If you don’t feel inclined to grow, roast, and mill your own chicory, you can buy the museum’s dried chicory root slices, powder, or syrup extract, or simply sample its chicory drinks as well as other foods and tasty treats made with the plant.

Related Tags

Museums Museums And Collections Coffee Drinks Farming

Know Before You Go

The visitors center and museum are open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Community Contributors

Added By

ahvenas

Published

December 11, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.visitestonia.com/en/chicory-museum
  • http://visitpeipsi.com/en/objects/1048363/
  • https://www.baristamagazine.com/the-origins-of-chicory/
  • https://www.britannica.com/plant/chicory
Chicory Museum
Suur tee 25
Kolkja, 60306
Estonia
58.553473, 27.213367
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Kolkja Kala-ja Sibularestora (Kolkja Old Believers Restaurant)

Kolkja, Estonia

miles away

Old Believers Museum

Kolkja, Estonia

miles away

Samovar House

Varnja, Estonia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kolkja

Kolkja

Estonia

Places 3

Nearby Places

Kolkja Kala-ja Sibularestora (Kolkja Old Believers Restaurant)

Kolkja, Estonia

miles away

Old Believers Museum

Kolkja, Estonia

miles away

Samovar House

Varnja, Estonia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kolkja

Kolkja

Estonia

Places 3

Related Places

  • Thành phố Buôn Ma Thuột, Vietnam

    The World Coffee Museum

    Drink and learn at this striking ode to coffee culture and history.

  • Mike Weaver Drain Tile Museum.

    Geneva, New York

    Mike Weaver Drain Tile Museum

    This museum pays homage to a device that precipitated a watershed moment in Finger Lakes food production.

  • “Yo Soy el Buen Pastor Ego Sum Pastor Bonus” by Bernardo Ramonfaur.

    Monterrey, Mexico

    Museo Arquidiocesano de Arte Sacro (Archdiocese Sacred Art Museum)

    Its collection features not only Christian-themed art but also works made by members of the clergy.

  • Can’t forget the firetruck.

    Harrisville, West Virginia

    Cliff’s Museum of Car Memorabilia

    A lifetime collection of thousands of automobile and vintage gas station items at no charge to view.

  • Livingstone, Zambia

    David Livingstone’s Shaving Mirror

    Combing through this David Livingstone tribute will escort you on adventures through the looking glass.

  • Glasgow, Scotland

    Hunterian Zoology Museum

    An extended zoological collection that doubles as a time capsule.

  • Denver, Colorado

    Clyfford Still Museum

    Soak in the life’s work of one of the country’s foremost modern artists.

    Sponsored by Visit Denver
  • The eternal flame.

    Chennai, India

    Perarignar Anna Memorial

    The largest funeral ever held was for one of Tamil's most influential politicians.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.