Everyone from our latitudes knows the cow flower, buttercup or dandelion. It shines strikingly in early summer with its sun-yellow flowers and its leaves with their coarse teeth also stick in the memory. Have you ever thought about eating the dandelion?

The young leaves of the dandelion can be used in salads

Eating the leaves - taste and ideas for use

Dandelion leaves are not only food for rabbits and the like. They are also healthy and edible for humans. They taste tart and spicy and, depending on their age, have a bitter aftertaste. Admittedly, they don't taste very good on their own. But processed you can conjure up delicious things from them.

It is best to use the leaves fresh. If you have collected large quantities, you can also dry or even freeze the leaves.

Here are a few ideas for use in the kitchen:

  • Wild herb salads (e.g. with ground elder and nettles)
  • juices
  • Pestos (with cedar nuts, pine nuts or walnuts + salt + olive oil)
  • Vegetable dishes (e.g. casseroles, spinach and stews)
  • Risotto
  • as herbal quark with potatoes
  • sauces
  • soups

Eat only the young leaves

Something few people know is that it is better to only eat the young leaves of the dandelion. The older leaves taste bitter and are less healthy in large quantities. Among other things, they are rich in oxalic acid. In excess, consumption often leads to nausea and vomiting.

Eat the flowers - recipe ideas

The sweet-tasting blossoms can be used not only as a decoration in fruit salads or on summery cakes and tarts. They are also suitable for salads, syrup, jam and jelly. For a jelly, you can boil the blossoms with water, lemon juice, lemon peel, agar agar and xylitol, strain and fill into glasses.

Eat the roots - coffee for self-sufficiency

Even the roots can be eaten and used. It is best to dry and grind them. A mild coffee can then be prepared from the powder. It used to be a common alternative to regular coffee during wartime.

tips

Incidentally, the dandelion with its bitter substances helps with digestive problems. You can therefore add it to hard-to-digest meat and fat dishes as a preventive measure.

Category:

Herbs