In order to address the problem of providing a coffee substitute endowed with the characteristic flavor and taste of coffee while also having a reduced amount of components such as caffeine, which is included as a main component of coffee but is sometimes undesirable for reasons of physical activity and health, the coffee substitute according to the present invention is produced by roasting a raw material composition in which an amino acid, chlorogenic acid, and sugar are blended. Specifically, the present invention produces a product having the taste of coffee by Maillard reaction of a sugar and an amino acid in the presence of chlorogenic acid. Since caffeine is not included in the product, a beverage produced using this product has a coffee-like taste without including caffeine, and a beverage can be obtained that makes it possible to enjoy coffee flavor without ingesting caffeine.
