Dandelions are members of the sunflower family. Their name is a
corruption of the French dents de lion, meaning "teeth of the
lion," referring to the jagged-edged leaves of this noteworthy
weed that grows, to the dismay of many, almost everywhere. The settlers
brought them from Europe to the New World and they were introduced
into the
Midwest to provide food for honeybees. Dandelions grow virtually
worldwide.
There are about 100 species of Taraxacum Officinale, the common dandelion,
all related to Echinacea (purple coneflower), chicory and other daisy-like
flowers. Herbalists consider them one of the most nutrient-rich plants
in the plant kingdom. Dandelion’s genus, Taraxacum comes from
the Greek words taraxos, meaning disorder, and akos, meaning remedy.
Officinale indicates it is used medicinally. The whole plant is edible
and a source of potassium, sodium, phosphorus and iron. The leaves
are a richer source of vitamin A than carrots and contain vitamins
B, C and D, iron and calcium.
The yellow flowers add color, texture, and an unusual bittersweet
flavor to salads. They can be sautéed, dipped in batter and
fried into fritters, or steamed with other vegetables.
The bright green leaves are delicious in salads, sautéed or
steamed. They can be cooked like spinach, sautéed with onions
and garlic in olive oil or cooked with sweet vegetables, especially
carrots and parsnips. Grated nutmeg or garlic, chopped onion or grated
lemon peel can be added to cooked greens. Young dandelion leaves make
delicious sandwiches, between slices of buttered bread sprinkled with
salt.
Make vegetable soup with dandelions, after removing the bitter green
sepals at the flower’s base and dandelion roots can be eaten
as vegetables or roasted and ground to make a chicory-like coffee.
One USDA Bulletin ranked dandelions in the top four green vegetables
in overall nutritional value. They’re nature's richest green
vegetable source of beta-carotene and the third richest source of
Vitamin A, after cod-liver oil and beef liver. The dandelion appears
in the U.S. National Formulary, and in the Pharmacopoeias of Hungary,
Poland, Switzerland, and the Soviet Union. It’s one of the top
six herbs in Chinese herbal medicine.
Arabian physicians used dandelions as medicine in the 10th and 11th
centuries. Physicians in Wales used them as a medicine in the 13th
century. Native American groups used dandelions for food, and a host
of medicinal purposes.
Dandelions continue to shine as a medicine, effective in treating
ailments from PMS to night blindness. Dandelion leaves are often used
as a diuretic. While most diuretic preparations leach the body’s
potassium, dandelion leaves provide an abundant source of potassium.
The flowers contain vitamins A and B-2 (riboflavin). One hundred grams
of leaves contain as much as 14,000 I.U. of vitamin A.
Dandelion’s health benefits are easily realized by adding the
leaves to salads or drinking dandelion tea. Make a light tea by steeping
a handful of freshly picked flowers in a pint of hot water for 20
minutes. Dandelion flowers can also be made into jelly and there is
always dandelion wine.
Across centuries and continents, dandelions have been called a number
of fanciful names. Medieval folk called them ‘priest's crown’
because of the flower’s similarity to a shorn priests head once
seed puffs dispersed. In France, their diuretic properties made them
‘piss-a-bed’. Children learned “Blow three times
at the seed head. The number of seeds left tells the hour” so
dandelions were ‘clock flower’ and ‘tell time’.
Blow ball and puffball came naturally. ‘Swine snout’ came
from the closed bud’s appearance. The superstition “Blow
the seeds from the head of a Dandelion and live as many years as there
are seeds left” brought the name ‘fortune-teller’.
Dandelions adapt well to sunny lawns or cracks in the sidewalk. Each
leaf is grooved and constructed close to the ground. Rainfall is conducted
to the center and the root in an efficient arrangement that directs
maximum water to the proper region. The more dandelions are weeded
up, the faster they grow. Unless the deep, twisted, brittle taproot
is removed completely, it regenerates. To increase reproductive efficiency,
dandelions have given up sex. Seeds can develop without cross-fertilization,
so a flower can fertilize itself.
Dandelions furnish quantities of pollen and nectar in early spring,
when the honeybees' harvest from fruit trees is nearly over. They
flower no matter how cool the weather, and bloom through late autumn,
providing a source of honey when other flowers quit blooming. Over
90 different insects frequent dandelions. And, insects smear themselves
with the pollen, carrying it to other flowers, ensuring cross-fertilization.
The vexatious little perennials aren’t everyone’s cup
of tea. For gardeners and landscapists, only frequent mowing and regular
application of herbicides deters Mother Nature’s infernally
cheerful flower. PL
DANDELION TEA
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil, reduce heat and add 2 tbsp. of cleaned,
chopped, fresh dandelion roots. Simmer for 1 minute, covered. Remove
from heat. Add 2 tbsp. of chopped, freshly picked leaves. Steep for
40 minutes. Strain and drink 2 cups per day.
DANDELION "MUSHROOMS"
15 dandelion flowers, rinsed in water but still slightly moist
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp butter
Dredge moist flowers in flour. Heat butter in a heavy frying pan.
Add flowers and fry quickly, turning to brown all sides. Serve hot.
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