Dandelion coffee (also dandelion tea) is a herbal tea made from the root of the Taraxacum plant. The roasted dandelion root pieces and the beverage have some resemblance to coffee in appearance and taste, and it is thus commonly considered a coffee substitute.
History
The usage of the dandelion plant dates back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Additionally, for over a thousand years, Chinese traditional medicine has been known to incorporate the plant.
Susanna Moodie explained how to prepare dandelion 'coffee' in her memoir of living in Canada, Roughing it in the Bush[
"Much of the surpassing cheap brand coffee is made from dandelion root, according to Prof. William Trelease, of the department of botany at the University of Illinois." Jul 6, 1919 p. V13 Los Angeles Times] It has also been part of edible plant classes dating back at least to the 1970s.[ Edible Wild Plants Class to Feature Dandelion Coffee Jun 16, 1977 p. CS8 Los Angeles Times [1] ]
Harvesting
Harvesting dandelion roots requires differentiating 'true' dandelions (
Taraxacum spp.) from other yellow daisy-like flowers such as
Hypochaeris and
Crepis. True dandelions have a ground-level rosette of deep-toothed leaves and hollow straw-like stems. Large plants that are 3–4 years old, with taproots approximately 0.5 inch (13 mm) in diameter, are harvested for dandelion coffee. These taproots are similar in appearance to pale
.
Dandelion roots that are harvested in the spring have sweeter and less bitter notes, while fall-harvested roots are richer and more bitter.
Preparation
The dandelion plant must be two years old before removing the root.
After harvesting, the dandelion roots are dried, chopped, and
roasting. The roots are sliced lengthwise and placed to dry for two weeks in a warm area. When ready, the dried roots are oven-roasted and stored away. To prepare a cup, one will steep about 1 teaspoon of the root in hot water for around 10 minutes. Alternatively, packaged dandelion root coffee can be purchased. People often enjoy their dandelion coffee with cream and sugar.
Health claims and uses
Although popular in alternative health circles and in Chinese medicine and central-eastern European folk medicine, there is no empirical evidence that dandelion root or its extracts can treat any medical condition.
In addition, very few high-quality clinical trials have been performed to investigate its effects.
Health risks associated with dandelion root are uncommon; however, directly consuming the plant by mouth could lead to stomach discomfort, heartburn, allergic reactions, or diarrhea.
Chemistry
Unroasted
Taraxacum officinale (among other
dandelion species) root contains:
- Sesquiterpene lactones
- Carotenoids
- Flavonoids
- Cyanogenic glycosides
- Sesquiterpene lactones (of the germacranolide type)
- Triterpenes
- Other
See also
