“Let food be
thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)
The
dandelion gets its name from old French, dent-de-lion meaning "lion's
tooth". This is because the heavily serrated green leaves resemble canine teeth.
There are
over 250 species of dandelion in the British Isles.
Dandelions
have a long history of use in herbal medicines.
Dandelion
leaves along with greens such as watercress and rocket, have a "bitters"
taste that is underrepresented in modern diets.
The young
tender dandelion leaves can be used in salads. Try mixing say 50g
dandelion, 50g rocket and 50g watercress as a base for a peppery salad
with that bitters taste.
Less young
green leaves can be marinated in much the same way as spinach, and then
used in salads.
Dandelion
leaves can be used to make dandelion leaf tea.
The roots
can be dehydrated and ground up to make dandelion root coffee.
Dandelion
flowers, without any of the green bits, can be used to make dandelion
honey.
So what
about the seeds? "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, The
answer is blowin' in the wind. ..."
Links
Do take a
look at Sergei Boutenko's clip "Stalking Wild Greens: Dandelion" on the
right. His website is:
"Modern
naturopathic physicians use dandelion to detoxify the liver and reduce the
side effects of prescription medications. Dandelion is on the FDA's list
of safe foods and is approved by the Council of Europe."
I like the
wild food video clips from Peak Survival.
"Here at Peak Survival it is our mission to provide accessible reliable
information on Survival. We cover Emergency Preparedness, Bushcraft,
Wilderness Survival and Gear reviews. Our Survival school is based in
the heart of Vermont. "
