Sanka: A Coffee 101

Honestly, Sanka is an instant coffee that I actually like. It dissolves well, has a good aroma, and I don’t find it too acidic. The taste is pretty decent for something instant, especially for those times where you can’t get a good cup of coffee, such as traveling, or at my in-laws. And definitely there are places where you can’t get de-caffeinated coffee period. And even though I love coffee I can’t always tolerate the caffeine. So, I have found these little orange packets really convenient. These can be picked up right at the grocery store in a multi-pack, and keep well in my desk, briefcase, car, etc. So if I’m somewhere that doesn’t have de-caffeinated coffee, I’ll just ask for a cup of hot water and put in my Sanka. Add some cream and sugar and I’m all set. This product is great for convenience.

As I asked around, I have found that Sanka seems to be one of those items where people have differing memories on where it came from. And then, for some reason I found it interesting enough to wonder about the connection of Sanka with orange pots. So I checked it out.

Today, Sanka is sold around the world, and was one of the earliest decaffeinated varieties ever offered. Decaffeinated coffee was invented in 1903 by a team of researchers who were led by Ludwig Roselius. It was first sold in Germany, and other European countries, between 1905 and 1906 under the name "Kaffee HAG". In France and other countries, the brand name became "Sanka", derived from the French words sans caféine ("without caffeine"). The brand came to the United States in 1909, where it was first marketed under the name "Dekafa" or "Dekofa" by American sales people.

In 1914, Roselius founded his own company called Kaffee Hag Corporation in New York. When Kaffee Hag was confiscated by the Alien Property Custodian during World War I it was sold to an American product development firm. Roselius lost his company, along with the American trademark rights to the name. To re-establish his product, he began to use the name Sanka in America.

The brand Sanka was first marketed in the United States in 1923. At the beginning, it was sold only in two "Sanka Coffee Houses" in New York, but soon it also came into retail marketplaces. With its bright orange label, the package was easily identifiable, and due to intensive advertising campaigns (and the General Foods Corporation taking over distribution in 1928), Sanka became a nationwide sales success by the late 1920s. 

The bright orange label that made Sanka easily identifiable to consumers found its way into coffee shops and restaurants around the country in the form of the decaf coffee pot. Coffee pots with a bright orange handle are a direct result of the American public's association of the Sanka color orange. It seems no matter which brand of coffee is actually served, orange equals decaf in our culture. However, businesses that serve rival Folgers decaffeinated coffee usually have green-handled pots.

Website
http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com

Back to Coffee Houses/Products