Dandelions

Nutritious, seasonal, local, and also – sounds almost too good to be true – free! The humble but ubiquitous dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). If there is a flower that one cannot help noticing, it is a dandelion with its radiant, joyful, and sunny bright yellow blossoms!
But did you know that you can eat it, all of it – flowers, leaves, and roots?

The whole plant bursts with antioxidant, diuretic, liver function supporting, and bile production stimulating phytochemicals. Its roots are also rich in prebiotic inulin, which promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Because of these properties, the roots are valued in herbal medicine for making diuretic, liver and gallbladder supporting infusions, capsules, or poultices. Because of the bitter taste, finely chopped and dried roots can also be used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute.

Lovers of unusual drinks or foods use dandelion flowers to make dandelion ‘wine’, dandelion ‘champagne’, and a honey substitute. The latter, allegedly, is supposed to help those suffering from pollen allergy. Maybe worth a try, considering the abundance of the material to experiment? 😉

But the most suitable (from a taste and texture point of view) for human consumption are the leaves. They abound with potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin C, folate, and fibre. You can add them to salads or eat them served with a vinaigrette made of lemon juice, EVO oil, salt or soy sauce, and a pinch of black pepper. You can also add some chopped garlic or/and onion. If you are not used to bitter(ish) foods, it might take some time to acquire the taste, but once you got it – there is no way back. And your health with thank you!