dandelion coffee

Dandelion coffee (also dandelion tea) is a tisane made from the root of the dandelion 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.{{Cite web|title=Ten Things You Might Not Know About Dandelions|url=https://www.mofga.org/resources/weeds/ten-things-you-might-not-know-about-dandelions/|access-date=2021-02-04|website=Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners|language=en-US}}

Susanna Moodie explained how to prepare dandelion 'coffee' in her memoir of living in Canada, Roughing it in the Bush{{cite book|last=Moodie|first=Susanna|title=Roughing it in the bush|date=4 December 2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jS683nGHbdQC&q=dandelion+coffee|publisher=McClelland and Stewart|access-date=7 July 2011|page=385|isbn=9780771034923}} (1852), where she mentions that she had heard of it from an article published in the 1830s in New York Albion by a certain Dr. Harrison.

Dandelion 'coffee' was later mentioned in a Harpers New Monthly Magazine story in 1886.{{cite web

| last = Whiting

| first = Julia D.

| title = The End of a Love Match

| publisher = Harpers New Monthly Magazine

| date = 1886-09-01

| url = http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Fharp%2Fharp0073%2F&tif=00588.TIF

| access-date = 2008-12-26}} In 1919, dandelion root was noted as a source of cheap 'coffee'.

"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 [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/653527162.html?dids=653527162:653527162&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+16%2C+1977&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Edible+Wild+Plants+Class+to+Feature+Dandelion+Coffee&pqatl=google] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120085602/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/653527162.html?dids=653527162:653527162&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jun+16%2C+1977&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Edible+Wild+Plants+Class+to+Feature+Dandelion+Coffee&pqatl=google|date=2013-01-20}}

Harvesting

File:Roasted dandelion root.jpg

Harvesting dandelion roots requires differentiating 'true' dandelions (Taraxacum spp.) from other yellow daisy-like flowers such as catsear and hawksbeard. 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 carrots.

Dandelion roots that are harvested in the spring have sweeter and less bitter notes, while fall-harvested roots are richer and more bitter.{{Cite book|last=Mars|first=Brigitte|title=Dandelion Medicine|publisher=Storey Publishing|year=1999|isbn=978-1580172073|location=|pages=64}}

Preparation

The dandelion plant must be two years old before removing the root.{{Cite book |last=Chevallier |first=Andrew |title=Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine |publisher=DK Publishing |year=2016 |isbn=9781465449818 |location=New York |pages=141}}{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=June 2024}} After harvesting, the dandelion roots are dried, chopped, and roasted. 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.{{Cite book|last=Mars|first=Brigitte|title=Dandelion Medicine|publisher=Storey Publishing|year=1999|isbn=978-1580172073|location=|pages=189}}

File:Packaged dandelion root coffee.jpg

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.{{Cite journal |last1=Gruszecki |first1=Robert |last2=Walasek-Janusz |first2=Magdalena |last3=Caruso |first3=Gianluca |last4=Pokluda |first4=Robert |last5=Tallarita |first5=Alessio Vincenzo |last6=Golubkina |first6=Nadezhda |last7=Sękara |first7=Agnieszka |date=2024-12-30 |title=Multilateral Use of Dandelion in Folk Medicine of Central-Eastern Europe |journal=Plants |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=84 |doi=10.3390/plants14010084 |doi-access=free |issn=2223-7747 |pmc=11723127 |pmid=39795344|bibcode=2024Plnts..14...84G }}{{Cite journal |last1=Yan |first1=Qingzi |last2=Xing |first2=Qichang |last3=Liu |first3=Zheng |last4=Zou |first4=Yang |last5=Liu |first5=Xiang |last6=Xia |first6=Hong |date=2024 |title=The phytochemical and pharmacological profile of dandelion |journal=Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy |volume=179 |pages=117334 |doi=10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117334 |issn=1950-6007 |pmid=39180794|doi-access=free }} In addition, very few high-quality clinical trials have been performed to investigate its effects.{{Cite web |title=Dandelion |url=https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/dandelion |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=NCCIH |language=en}}

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.{{Cite journal|date=May 2019|title=Doxycycline|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40278-019-62041-6|journal=Reactions Weekly|volume=1753|issue=1|pages=149|doi=10.1007/s40278-019-62041-6|s2cid=241943146 |issn=0114-9954|url-access=subscription}}

Chemistry

Unroasted Taraxacum officinale (among other dandelion species) root contains:

;Sesquiterpene lactones

Taraxacin{{cite journal|last1=Ahmad|first1=Viqar Uddin|last2=Yasmeen|first2=Shazia|last3=Ali|first3=Zulfiqar|last4=Khan|first4=Murad Ali|last5=Choudhary|first5=M. Iqbal|last6=Akhtar|first6=Farzana|last7=Miana|first7=Ghulam Abbas|last8=Zahid|first8=Muhammad|title=Taraxacin, a New Guaianolide from Taraxacum wallichii|journal=Journal of Natural Products|volume=63|issue=7|year=2000|pages=1010–1011|issn=0163-3864|doi=10.1021/np990495+|pmid=10924189|bibcode=2000JNAtP..63.1010A }} (a guaianolide)
Phenylpropanoid glycosides: dihydroconiferin, syringin, and dihydrosyringin
Taraxacoside(an acylated gamma-butyrolactone glycoside)
Lactupircin