RIP, Postum

Published on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, by Sarah Perry / Edit Post

A post on the Grinder about Kraft no longer making Postum prompted carl555 to look for a substitute for this coffee substitute.

typetive likes barley tea from Japan, called mugicha. It has the same dark roasted flavors as Postum but might need a hit of molasses or honey to emulate Postum’s taste and mouthfeel. You can get barley tea (roasted whole barley, which you boil right in the pan with the water) from Korean or Japanese grocery stores.

For something more similar to the full Postum experience, boogiebaby recommends a British product called Horlicks. Look for it in Asian grocery stores or ethnic stores catering to populations from the British diaspora, such as Jamaica and India. Along a similar vein, Nestlé makes a product called Nestum, which might substitute for Postum.

Kinnexa recommends the Swiss coffee substitute Cafix, or Celestial Seasonings Roastaroma, both usually found in the health food aisle of a supermarket, or any place that sells health food.

Board Link: Postum Substitute

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POST A COMMENT |6 Comments

COMMENT

  • Postum Fans,

    I have solved our Post-Postum problem! (Actually, my Japanese girlfriend has solved it and I'm merely reporting it to you.)

    We found a Polish product called INKA Instant Grain Beverage that is about as close to the taste of beloved Postum as one can imagine.

    It is truly delightful.

    A little research yielded the fact that it is imported into the US by a firm in Brooklyn, called...+READ

    Postum Fans,

    I have solved our Post-Postum problem! (Actually, my Japanese girlfriend has solved it and I'm merely reporting it to you.)

    We found a Polish product called INKA Instant Grain Beverage that is about as close to the taste of beloved Postum as one can imagine.

    It is truly delightful.

    A little research yielded the fact that it is imported into the US by a firm in Brooklyn, called Adamba Imports.

    Details below:

    New York Office
    585 Meserole St.
    Brooklyn, NY 11237
    phone:718.628.9700
    fax: 718.628.0920

    www.adamba.com-COLLAPSE

  • I just bought Postum this morning at an Independent Grocer (affiliated with Loblaws) in Smiths Falls, Ontario. It's not even a big Independent store. I paid $5.99 for it. If you're near the Ontario border (i.e. New York, Michigan, etc), check out yourindependentgrocer.ca or loblaws.ca for a store near you.

  • You can still find it on auction sites. Here is a link:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270217429327&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017
    Good luck now.

  • Follow Up:

    I live in Seattle, so I called a Safeway store in Vancouver, BC. The manager confirmed that theyhad Postum on the shelves.
    It's still 150 miles, but maybe I could organize a bus trip? Stop by the pharmacy counter and get our prescriptions filled cheaply, then pick up a couple jars of Postum in the grocery aisle on the way out?

  • I called Kraft Foods this morning. The representative said Postum was still available in Canada.

    I called Kraft Canada to confirm. They said it was still being manufactured, but they could not search the stores where it was being sold.
    Kraft USA number is: 800-431-7678
    Kraft Canada: 800-567-5723

  • I just got banned from the Kraft Foods Site. Here is the message they won't let me post:


    OK Folks, we need to quit complaining here, and start getting the word out.

    FOX News, NPR, and the New York Times all have contact forms to suggest a story.
    I have also filled out customer request forms at Safeway, Albertson's and Kroger, asking them to tell their buyers and wholesalers to put the screws...+READ

    I just got banned from the Kraft Foods Site. Here is the message they won't let me post:


    OK Folks, we need to quit complaining here, and start getting the word out.

    FOX News, NPR, and the New York Times all have contact forms to suggest a story.
    I have also filled out customer request forms at Safeway, Albertson's and Kroger, asking them to tell their buyers and wholesalers to put the screws to Kraft.
    I plan on filling out the forms at Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, PCC Natural Markets, and all the smaller grocery and drug store chains.
    You may also want to contact grocery wholesalers like Associated Grocers or Saia.
    We need to let all these people know there is a market out there.
    We need to create enough fuss that they see the error of their ways.
    As I have suggested before, if you know of any smaller fodd processors who might be interested in buying the rights to Postum, you also need to let them know.
    So, get those card and letters in the mail.-COLLAPSE