By Elizabeth King
I love roasted dandelion root tea. The warm caramel-meets-coffee flavour that steeps from the root of this much hated weed is one of my favourite warm herbal drinks. Whether you call it tea or coffee, the drink is the same, and it is delicious!
My first experience with the idea of drinking steeped dandelion roots came from my early time here at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. I heard about it as a Historic Interpreter, and was told that we used to make it on-site as part of the Fife Cabin and Fitzpatrick House interpretations. Frankly, the idea sounded unappealing and gross. I was not surprised it wasn’t something that we still did.
To backtrack - The origins of this culinary interpretation came from reading Susanna Moodies’ Roughing it in the Bush, in which Susanna talks about making this drink using roots that she found while assisting her husband with the potato harvest. Apparently the Lang version did not turn out well, and thus the demonstration didn’t continue for long. However, as those who have read the book know, Susanna, like me, was pleasantly surprised by how fabulous the drink actually is!
It comes as no surprise to someone who has tried this drink, that it is often used as a coffee substitute. Both the taste and appearance resemble the much loved java of our famous addiction. The perk, however; is that it doesn’t have any of the effects that those who avoid coffee steer clear of – jitters, caffeine, bad breath...etc.
Touted as a liver tonic, a calming relaxant, a laxative and an up-and-coming cancer treatment aid, this drink made from that simple pesky weed on your front lawn, is a super treat!
A Recipe for Dandelion Coffee
From: Roughing It In The Bush, by Susanna Moodie
From: Roughing It In The Bush, by Susanna Moodie
“I cut my roots into small pieces, the size of a kidney-bean, and roasted them on an iron baking-pan in the stove-oven, until they were as brown and crisp as coffee. I then ground and transferred a small cupful of the powder to the coffee-pot, pouring upon it scalding water, and boiling it for a few minutes briskly over the fire. The result was beyond my expectations. The coffee proved excellent–far superior to the common coffee we procured at the stores.”
For those who are interested in trying the drink – without the pioneering leg-work - you can also purchase a delicious convenient, pre-packaged, version from Bulk Barn. It’s in the tea section called Roasted Dandelion Tea, by Traditional Medicinal brand.
As I look out my window at the lawn though…there’s a lot of Dandelions out there! ;)
Elizabeth King is the Administrative/Volunteer Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been working at the Village since May of 2009. Elizabeth is passionate about history, costuming, reading, vegan culinary crusades and environmental pursuits. When she isn’t in the middle of a project at Lang, she is 