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Rose Nicaud and the History of French Market Coffee
Royal Tours New Orleans • Sep 05, 2019
Rose Nicaud and the History of French Market Coffee
Our New Orleans French Market coffee is probably world famous. People from all over the US and the world flock to the French Market and popular local establishments like Cafe du Monde and Morning Call for our delicious brew. “Cafe noir” or “Cafe au lait” were the common refrains from back in the day. But, do you know how it all got started? Well, it’s all related to the history of female entrepreneurialism in New Orleans and a slave named Rose Nicaud.
Most women, and men, pass into history without receiving public recognition for their work no matter how interesting their lives were or how important their contributions. And, the women who lived in early New Orleans were no different in that respect. What was different was that the French Code of Louisiana, unlike British law elsewhere, gave women the sole ownership and management of property they brought to a marriage or inherited as widows. Many women were therefore financially independent, and any women worked knowing that the proceeds from that work would be theirs, legally, instead of their husbands, or would remain theirs upon marriage.
Dozens of women in New Orleans operated small stores called “rabais” shops (rabais is French for discount) out of the front rooms of their homes. Some would offer dance or piano lessons, some would mend clothes. These store owners knew everything about everyone in their neighborhood and gave advice free of charge. Their names died along with the tradition of the “rabais” shops.
Rose Nicaud in the early 1800s is one example of a woman working in New Orleans. Rose had the idea of providing coffee to people going to and from Mass at St Louis Church. So, even though she was a slave, she was able to set up a portable coffee stand. Her coffee was so popular that not only did she inspire other women to set up coffee stands, she was able to make enough money to buy her freedom!
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Soon there were dozens of small portable coffee stands. At each stand, there was a different brew and they were all managed by free women of color. From the inspiration of Rose Nicaud we now have the venerable tradition of public coffee houses like Cafe du Monde and Morning Call each serving that unique New Orleans brew.
Catherine Cole offers a marvelous firsthand account of the French Market and an account of Rose Nicaud in her 1916 book titled, The Story of the Old French Market:
Here, from the beginning, all the small cuisiniers set up on the black, cozy flagstones their braziers of charcoal and brewed over them that all but immortal decoction, fit to be bottled and sold as perfume from Araby the blest — French Market Coffee.
But here is a coffee stall, dropped down in this cozy corner for just such passers-by as we two.
“Why, nonsense! Have another cup!"
“Hurt you? Not a bit of it ! The market men drink it all day long — ten to fifteen cups a day. Sweet Angele and petite Doudouce would drink many cups at midnight, after the opera, and sleep like the babies they were, all through the soft summer night.
“This is French Market coffee, you must remember, not a bit like the ordinary coffee you have at home. They do say that in France and Austria there is coffee resembling French Market coffee. Of that I do not know. I only know there is only one real French Market coffee for me.”
Here is another coffee stand. Hear the familiar monotone, “Cafe noir” or “Cafe au lait!” Almost one is tempted at so short an interval to sense again that delicious coffee memory that has come down to us across the centuries.
Throughout the French Market, you could find stalls dedicated to various items: pastries, butchered meats, fish, poultry, cheeses, beans, etc. At the back would be stalls dedicated to serving meals. Cole continues:
Hereabout are most of the market eating Stalls. At some of them elaborate meals are served, while others are solely for the serving of French Market coffee and cakes.
Big, round furnaces stand on tripods and are filled with fires of charcoal. Over these, in skillets, women fry fish, cook oysters, or ham and eggs. In reserve are dishes of potato salad, corn beef, mutton (that may be the boys’ goat), and a mass called plum pudding. On a separate fire the coffee-pot steams.
And now for that farewell pot of coffee I promised you! This is the spot where we will get in it perfection!
Here, or hereabouts, “Old Rose,” whose memory is embalmed in the amber of many a song and picture and story, kept the most famous coffee stall of the old French Market. She was a little negress who had earned the money to buy her freedom from slavery. Her coffee was like the benediction that follows after prayer; or if you prefer it, like the benedictine after dinner.
It was something to see that black “Old Rose” pile the golden powder of ground French Market coffee into her French strainer — a heaping tablespoonful for each cup — and then when the pot was well heated, pour in just two tablespoonfuls, no more, of boiling water.
In ten minutes this had soaked the coffee, and then, half a cup at a time, the boiling water was poured on and allowed to drip slowly. The result would be coffee, black, clear and sparkling — ideal French Market coffee!
“What is it that you will have, madam?” Hark! Here comes the courtly old servitor. And then for fear we may not have understood him he repeats his question in musical French: “Que voules vous, Madame?”
“Shall it be black coffee, or coffee with milk? Cafe noir or cafe au lait?“
Imagine! The cafe au lait
we now enjoy at various locations around the French Market owes its history to “Old Rose” Nicaud, a woman, a slave, who saw the need to offer coffee to parishioners going to and from Mass.
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