Discover the delights of the delicious dandelion

Jessica Emerson | For The New Mexican

5/6/2008 - 5/7/08

Spring is in the air, and one perky little plant is popping up everywhere — the dandelion.

In America, thousands of dollars — and much energy — is spent to eradicate its cheery little head from "picture perfect" lawns. I believe this is called plantocide.

Perhaps to protect itself, the dandelion has become known under many aliases: Chicoria, Priest's crown, Blow ball, Dent de Lion, Leontodon, Lo Wenzahn, and Pushki. But a dandelion by any other name is still Taraxacum officinale.

This cosmopolitan plant is a member of the asteraceae family and originally made its home in Greece. European settlers brought it with them to the New World, where it quickly became naturalized.

Almost everyone knows this plant. Rising from a rosette of dark green, deeply toothed leaves is a shiny, purplish hollow stem crowned with a golden yellow flower. Each bloom is made of numerous florets and contains a copious supply of nectar. The tap root is dark brown on the outside and white on the inside. The whole plant, except the flower, exudes a milky sap that is very bitter to the taste.

You can forecast the weather and tell time by closely observing the dandelion. In sunny weather, all parts are open and outstretched. But if rain threatens, it quickly closes the whole head at once. Even the nightime dew scares this shy flower; by 5 p.m. it has closed for the day.

Bee keepers value the dandelion, as it is an early bloomer that continues until late autumn.

Chock full of vitamins

All parts of the dandelion are used as food and medicine. Young leaves are a great addition to salads and sandwiches. They also can be steamed and sautéed like spinach.

Dandelion leaves contain 7,000 units of vitamin A per ounce. (By comparison, a carrot has only 175 units per ounce.) One-half cup of raw dandelion leaves contains 398 milligrams potassium, 68 milligrams ascorbic acid, 35 milligrams vitamin C, 900 micrograms niacin, 200 micrograms thiamin, 3 milligrams iron and 2.7 grams protein — quite a power-packed plant!

Dandelion flowers also are edible, adding flavor and color to butter and other spreads. I coat them in a sweet tempura batter, sauté them in sunflower oil and serve them as appetizers.

The roots are gathered in the spring for their medicinal value and in the fall for their food reserve. Traditionally, the roots are dried, roasted, ground and drunk as a coffee substitute. I mix the roasted root with the roasted roots of burdock and chicory for a robust tea that contains no caffeine — only nutrition and flavor.

European herbalists consider the dandelion one of the best herbs for building up the blood when a person has anemia. This plant has been cultivated and used in India as a remedy for liver complaints. As a diuretic — something that makes you urinate — it is used for kidney and bladder disorders. But, unlike some pharmaceutical diuretics, it does not leach potassium from the body — in fact, it adds potassium. It's included in herbal formulas for treating gallstones, as its taraxacim content stimulates the flow of bile.

A humble plant, hunted down like an outlaw, the dandelion continues to bloom, bringing joy to children and good health to its human friends.

Dandelion has no known side effects or interactions with drugs. It is safe to use during pregnancy and lactation. I have been a practicing certified clinical herbalist since 1989 and have seen no untoward reactions to the use of dandelions. There is a rare chance of contact dermatitis (a skin rash) from handling the plant, but I have never heard of or seen a case.


This is an old recipe for dandelion wine, which was considered a tonic for the stomach.

WARNING: Do not pick or eat dandelions anywhere that they may have been sprayed with herbicides and pesticides.

Gather one gallon dandelion blooms, no stems. Boil blooms with rind and juice of 4 oranges and 4 lemons in 2 gallons water for 1/2 hour. Set aside for at least
24 hours.

Strain and add 8 cups sugar and 1 package dry or cake yeast. Cover and let sit for 2 weeks in a cool, dark place.

Strain again and bottle. Store in refrigerator.