botanical Name: Taraxacum officinale
country of origin: China / Albania / Croatia
 
properties: Dandelion is an edible perennial herb with deeply cut leaves, yellow flowers, and has a thick taproot which is dark brown on the outside and white on the inside. It is native to most of Europe, Northern Africa, and Asia, but now has naturalized all over the world alongside roads and in lawns as a common weed. Its botanical name Taraxacum is derived from the Greek words 'taraxos' meaning disorder and 'akos' meaning remedy, referring to dandelion's myriad of healing properties.
 
qualities: There are medical references as early as the 10th century for the use of taraxcacum by Arabian physicians as a remedy for liver and kidney complaints and dandelion root is valued for the same reasons to this day. Studies have shown that dandelion stimulates bile flow and has a mild diuretic effect. According to some nutritional analysis, dandelion root contains substantial levels of vitamins A, C, D, B-complex, iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese, choline, calcium, boron, and a high amount of potassium.
 
common Use: Roasting the root gives it a coffee-like taste. To make dandelion root coffee, carefully roast the cut root in a pan or oven or use 1tsp of roasted dandelion powder for 15 to 20 min, strain and add dairy or dairy alternatives, and sweeteners as desired. For dandelion root tea, dissolve 1Tbsp of roasted dandelion root, 1 tsp of minced, fresh or dried ginger root, and one cardamom seed in two cups of water. Steep the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, strain, add sweetener to taste, and enjoy! Dandelion root can also be blended into smoothies, mixed with juices, or sprinkled over cereal and oatmeal.