Dandelion

The dandelion is a perennial plant with an almost worldwide distribution. While many individuals consider the dandelion to be an unwanted weed, herbalists all over the world have revered this valuable herb. Its common name, dandelion, is a corruption of the French for “tooth of the lion” (dent-de-lion). This name describes the herb’s leaves, which have several large, pointed teeth. Its scientific name, Taraxacum, is from the Greek taraxos (disorder) and akos (remedy). This alludes to dandelion’s ability to correct a multitude of disorders.

A hardy perennial that grows in all temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere, dandelion reaches 3 to 35 centimeters in height and is easily recognized by its deeply toothed, hairless leaves, measuring 5 to 30 centimeters long and 1 to 10 centimeters wide, which form a rosette at ground level, and the single golden yellow flower that emerges from the rosette’s center on a straight, purplish, leafless, hollow stem.

The flower, which is actually a collection of tiny florets, appears from early spring until late autumn. When the florets mature, they produce downy seeds that are easily dispersed by the wind, giving rise to dandelion’s aliases of “puff-ball” and “blowball.” Although its flowers are most evident in early summer, dandelion may be found in bloom, and consequently prolifically dispersing its seeds, throughout most of the year.

As anyone who has ever removed one from the lawn knows, dandelion plants have a long, dark brown taproot, tapering from 2 to 3 centimeters wide and at least 15

centimeters in length. The whole plant, including the root, contains a milky white sap or latex. On top of the root, but still below the surface, is a crown of blanched leaf stems, which dandelion aficionados consider the tastiest part of the plant. They can be used in salads or as a cooked vegetable. Next is found the rosette of leaves. These are the dandelion greens, which must be gathered before the plant blooms or they will become quite bitter and tough. The young greens, which have a slightly bitter, tangy flavor that adds interest to salads and can also be cooked like spinach, are the part most often consumed, but dandelion roots can also be eaten as a root vegetable or roasted and ground to make “coffee,” and the flowers can be used to make dandelion wine and tea.

HISTORY

From ancient times to the present, dandelion has been valued as a healthful food and a medicine. According to legend, Theseus ate a dandelion salad after killing the Minotaur. The Gauls and Celts ate the plant, as did the Romans when they invaded the North. The Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain and the Normans of France also ate dandelion and used the plant to control scurvy, and as a diuretic.

Dandelion was planted in the medicinal gardens of monasteries and appears in the writings of the famous Arab physician Avicenna (980-1037 C.E.), who used it to regulate menstruation and spoke of it as a sort of wild endive, under the name of Taraxacum.

Allusion is made to the use of dandelion as a medicine by the Welsh in the thirteenth century. In the fifteenth century, Master Wilhelmus, a surgeon, provided another reason for its common name, writing that dandelion was as powerful as a lion’s tooth in fighting off certain diseases. The dandelion continued to be extensively used in Europe for its medicinal effects as a diuretic and tonic helpful in digestive, kidney, and liver complaints. As a food, however, dandelion did not become popular until the early nineteenth century, when several very palatable varieties were developed in Europe.

In Britain at this time, not only were the leaves considered a delicacy in salads, but dandelion roots were roasted, ground and used to make “coffee,” a process described with much approval by Grieve in A Modern Herbal, the first comprehensive encyclopedia of herbs, published in 1931 in Great Britain:

The prepared powder is said to be almost indistinguishable from real coffee, and is claimed to be an improvement to inferior coffee, which is often an adulterated product. Of late years, Dandelion Coffee has come more into use in this country, being obtainable at most vegetarian restaurants and stores. Formerly it was used occasionally for medicinal purposes, generally mixed with true coffee to give it abetter flavor. The ground root was sometimes mixed with chocolate for a similar purpose. Dandelion Coffee is a natural beverage without any of the injurious effects that ordinary tea and coffee have on the nerves and digestive organs. It exercises a stimulating influence over the whole system, helping the liver and kidneys to do their work and keeping the bowels in a healthy condition, so that it offers great advantages to dyspeptics and does not cause wakefulness.

Grieve also notes that dried dandelion leaves were used as an ingredient in many digestive drinks and herb beers. She describes “dandelion stout,” a drink made from dandelions, nettles, and yellow dock, as “an agreeable and wholesome fermented drink” that was a favorite of workmen in the furnaces and potteries of the industrial towns of the Midlands, who had “frequent resource to many of the tonic Herb Beers, finding them cheaper and less intoxicating than ordinary beer.” And finally, Grieve provides a recipe using dandelion flowers to make dandelion wine, which she gives as follows:

This is made by pouring a gallon of boiling water over a gallon of the flowers. After being well stirred, it is covered with a blanket and allowed to stand for three days, being stirred again at intervals, after which it is strained and the liquor boiled for 30 minutes, with the addition of 3 ½lbs. of loaf sugar, a little ginger sliced, and the rinds of 1 orange and 1 lemon sliced. When cold, a little yeast is placed in it on a piece of toast, producing fermentation. It is then covered over and allowed to stand two days until it has ceased “working,” when it is placed in a cask, well bunged down for two months before bottling. This wine is suggestive of sherry slightly flat, and has the deserved reputation of being an excellent tonic, extremely good for the blood.

The dandelion was brought to America by the early colonists, who used all parts of the plant but favored the roots, which they used to make dandelion coffee. On the frontier, dandelions undoubtedly saved lives. Frontier healers recommended dandelion greens as a spring tonic, and we now know they provide significant amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as other important nutrients unavailable to pioneers during the winter.

NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Dandelion’s calorie count is exceptionally low—a cup is only 25 calories—while its nutrient content is exceptionally high. In fact, the dandelion contains greater nutritional value than many other vegetables. It is high in vitamins and minerals, protein, choline, inulin, and pectin. Its carotenoid content is extremely high, as is reflected by its higher vitamin A content than carrots’—dandelion has 14,000 IU of vitamin A per 100 grams compared to 11,000 IU for carrots. In addition, dandelion is an excellent source of vitamin C, riboflavin, B6, and thiamin, as well as calcium, copper, manganese, and iron.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Dandelion is a rich source of nutrients and other compounds that may improve liver functions, promote weight loss, possess diuretic activity, and improve blood sugar control. Overall, dandelion is a rich source of medicinal compounds that have a “toning” effect on the body, and both the greens and the roots can be used for this purpose. The digestive tonic properties attributed to dandelion are now thought to be due to a bitter principle researchers have named and identified as belonging to a class of active substances called guaianolides, which have intestinal antiseptic, germicidal, and expectorant effects.

Dandelion root is regarded as one of the finest liver remedies, as both food and medicine. Studies in both humans and laboratory animals have shown that dandelion root enhances the flow of bile, improving such conditions as liver congestion, bile duct inflammation, hepatitis, gallstones, and jaundice. Dandelion’s action on increasing bile flow is twofold: it has a direct effect on the liver, causing an increase in bile production and flow to the gallbladder (choleretic effect), and a direct effect on the gallbladder, causing contraction and release of stored bile (cholagogue effect).

Dandelion’s historical use in such a wide variety of conditions is probably closely related to its ability to improve the functional ability of the liver. For example, in one animal study, dandelion significantly improved the liver’s ability to clear toxins by 244 percent. Dandelion’s effectiveness in improving the liver’s ability to clear potentially toxic agents was also demonstrated in a study in which rats were given the antimicrobial drug ciprofloxacin. In those rats that also received dandelion, levels of the drug were rapidly and significantly lowered by 73 percent.

Dandelion has also historically been used as a weight loss aid in the treatment of obesity. This fact prompted researchers to investigate dandelion’s effect on the body weight of experimental animals. When these animals were administered a fluid extract of dandelion greens for one month, they lost as much as 30 percent of their initial weight. Much of the weight loss appeared to be a result of significant diuretic activity.

Research has also revealed that dandelion root contains a very high concentration—up to 40 percent—of an indigestible carbohydrate called inulin (see page 76), which serves as a food source for, and thus promotes the growth of, the “friendly” colonic bacteria species Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. When these beneficial bacteria are encouraged to proliferate, they crowd out other harmful bacteria, thus acting like a natural protective antibiotic and improving the health of the digestive tract.

Inulin is also helpful in improving blood sugar control and diabetes. In one study, dandelion, given to diabetic rats in the form of a water extract, significantly improved the rats’ production of antioxidant liver enzymes while decreasing their blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and raising their level of beneficial HDL cholesterol.

HOW TO SELECT AND STORE

Wild dandelion is plentiful in most parts of the United States. Dandelion greens are often available commercially as well, especially at open markets and health food stores. The fresher the dandelion, the better. Though dandelion greens are available until winter in some states, the best, most tender greens are harvested early in the spring, before the plant begins to flower. Cultivated dandelion greens sold in markets are typically longer, less bitter, and more tender than their wild cousins. Choose brightly colored, tender-crisp leaves; avoid those with yellowed or wilted tips or brown spots. Usually, the lighter green the leaf, the more tender the taste.

Store dandelion greens unwashed and wrapped in damp paper towels in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator, where they should remain fresh for three to five days.

Commercial growers debate about the optimum time to harvest dandelion root. Some believe the roots are more bitter when harvested in autumn, while others consider the roots to be more bitter in spring. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP) recommends harvesting the roots in autumn. One reason may be that, in the spring, food reserves from the root have been used up for the production of leaves and flowers, primarily inulin. In autumn, the inulin content of dried root is up to 40 percent, while in spring it is only 2 percent. However, dandelion root in the spring is still a nutritious raw or cooked vegetable.

TIPS FOR PREPARING

The best time to gather dandelion greens is in the very early spring, even before the last frost, when the bloom bud appears but before the stalk grows. After blooming, dandelion greens become too bitter and tough to eat. The long taproot can be used as a vegetable or roasted and used as a coffee substitute. You also may find the beginnings of the blossoms in the center of the crown. These will appear as a yellowish, closely packed mass and can be cut out and cooked. If the plant has already bloomed, the blossoms can be used to make delicious wine and the roots can be roasted and ground for “coffee.”

Like other greens, even if dandelion leaves look clean, they should be washed

thoroughly. Trim off any remaining roots, and then, holding the greens by the stems, gently swish them around in a large bowl of cool water. Lift them out and rinse and refill the bowl. Repeat this process until no sand or grit settles in the bottom of the bowl.

If using the greens for cooking, leave them damp. If serving them in salads, dry them well. To remove remaining water, a salad spinner is easiest, as it dries delicate leaves quickly and thoroughly. If you do not have a salad spinner, hold the greens by the stems and shake off excess water, then blot gently with clean paper towels. Store them for up to five days in the refrigerator. Cooked dandelion greens should be eaten within two days.

Smaller, pale leaves are more delicate in flavor and thus best for salads. The more robust flavor of the larger, darker leaves makes these best for cooking. Also, the center ribs of more mature leaves should be removed, as it becomes tough and quite bitter.

To retain the best flavor, the leaves should always be torn to pieces, rather than cut.

To reduce bitterness in more mature leaves, soak the leaves in a baking soda solution (one teaspoon of soda to 1 cup water) for one hour.

Dandelion flowers can also be eaten, but they require parboiling to reduce their bitterness.

QUICK SERVING IDEAS

Young dandelion leaves make an excellent spring salad, either alone or in combination with other greens, lettuces, shallot tops, or chives.

For an exceptional wilted dandelion green salad, try the following: Take 2 large bunches of dandelion greens (about 2 pounds), remove the tough stems, cut the remaining greens into ¾-inch slices, and reserve in a large serving bowl. Coarsely chop ¼ cup hazelnuts and 3 cloves garlic or 1 medium onion, and cook in 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until the onions or garlic is golden. Stir in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the hot vinaigrette over the greens and toss to combine.

Young dandelion leaves are also delicious steamed or boiled, thoroughly drained, seasoned with fresh ground pepper and salt, moistened with olive oil or butter, and served hot. For a very delicate flavor, young dandelion can be prepared in the same way as endive (see page 198).When using more mature leaves, mix with half spinach to lessen the bitterness, but cook the dandelion partially first, as it takes longer to cook than spinach. Grated nutmeg or garlic, or a teaspoonful of chopped

onion or grated lemon peel, can be added to the greens after cooking.

Instead of watercress, try young dandelion leaf sandwiches. Layer the tender leaves on slices of lightly buttered bread and sprinkle with salt. If desired, add a sprinkle of lemon juice and a dash of pepper to vary the flavor.

The white crown of the leaf stems is an especially delicious part of the dandelion plant and can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. Slice the crowns off the roots just low enough that they all stay together, then slice again where the leaves start getting green. Wash well to remove all the dirt, then soak in salt water until you are ready to use them. To make a salad, cut the crowns finely and use them as you would lettuce in a wilted lettuce salad, or toss them with enough vinaigrette dressing to just coat the leaves, then garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg. To cook them, boil in a lot of water for about 5 minutes, drain, and season with butter, salt, and fresh ground pepper. Put the pot back on the stove and shake just long enough to dry the greens out slightly and melt the butter.

Young, tender dandelion roots are delicious cooked. Peel them with a potato peeler. Slice thinly crosswise and boil in water to which you’ve added a pinch of baking soda. Pour off the water, cover with fresh water, and boil again. Drain and season with salt, pepper, and butter.

Old, tough roots can be used to make “coffee.” Scrub them well and let dry completely. When thoroughly dry, roast in a slow oven (200 to 250 degrees F.) for 4 hours or more until they are deep brown and break with a snap. Allow to cool and grind coarsely. Store the dried coffee substitute as is in sealed containers, or blend first with chicory. Use one teaspoon of ground root for one cup of coffee.

Dandelion tea can be made from the plant’s leaves, roots, or flowers. To make dandelion leaf or flower tea, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried leaves or buds to one cup of boiling water and allow to steep for 3 to 5 minutes. If using the roots, scrub them, add 1 cup of them to 4 cups of boiling water, cover, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The tea is strongest if left to steep overnight.

SAFETY

Individuals with allergies to daisies or other members of the Compositae family may wish to avoid dandelion. If picking wild dandelion greens from lawns or meadows, be sure the area has not been treated with weed killer or fungicides and that it is not located close to a heavily traveled road, where it will be exposed to pollutants from automobile exhaust.