Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Dandelion (Common) along with all the Dandelion (Common) containing recipes presented on this site, with 41 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Dandelion (Common) as a major wild food ingredient.

Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale [syn T. vulgare]) is a common garden weed that is generally overlooked by foragers, however, the young leaves can make a tasty addition to any salad. (Discard any older leaves as they tend to be bitter). The flavour can be improved by growing the dandelion beneath a terracotta pot.

In spring, however, the leaves should be tender and fresh. Nowadays there are even cultivated forms of dandelion bred especially for their leaves which are available from specialized seed merchants.

Dandelion is a member of the Compositae family of flowering plants and it has one of the most extensive collection of common names of any plant, probably due to its extensive historic use as both an edible and a medicinal plant (common names include: Pee in the Bed, Lions Teeth, Fairy Clock, Clock, Clock Flower, Clocks and Watches, Farmers Clocks, Old Mans Clock, Once Clock, Wetweed, Blowball, Cankerwort, Lionstooth, Priests Crown, Puffball, Swinesnout, White Endive, Wild Endive and Piss-a-beds).

The origin of the name dandelion (from the French, dent de lion (lion's tooth)) is unknown, though the name could refer to the long taproot or even the toothed leaves of dandelions. Dandelions are easily recognized due to their long, dark green, heavily toothed leaves, their bright yellow flowers and their pompom-like seed heads. However, it should be noted that the leaves can be variable in form and it's possible to find both highly-tooted and almost entirely untoothed leaf forms.

Typically, the common dandelion is a perennial growing between 15 and 25cm in height in when in flower. The flowers themselves are bright golden yellow and can be up to 5cm in diameter. Flowers are borne on long stalks and the plants are in flower from spring right through to autumn. The flower petals, like the root and the leaves are edible and are commonly made into dandelion wine. Once fertilized, the flower heads develop into hundreds of seeds, each with its own 'parachute' for wind-born distribution. It's these that form the fluffy ball of the dandelion 'clock'. The leaves are oblong with a jagged edge.

When damaged, the flower stems, leaf stems and roots of dandelions exude a white latex. During the Second World War this was actually collected to make rubber. As well as the common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale it is also possible to find Russian Dandelion Taraxcacum kok-saghyz in the wild. This was extensively cultivated during the second world war both as a leafy green and for latex production. Inevitably, members of this dandelion species escaped into the wild. The use of large-leaved cultivars of dandelion as a spring and autumn vegetable (in effect a substitute for endive) is reflected in some of the plant's common names.

Both leaves (fresh when young and blanched when older) and the blanched root can be used in salads or the leaves can be used as a spinach or endive alternative. The roots can also be boiled as a vegetable. Perhaps on of the best known uses for dandelion root is roasted and ground as a coffee alternative. Perhaps one of the best known uses of dandelion leaves is the French dish salade au pisenlit where the dandelion leaves are lightly fried with bacon lardons before being served with croûtons.

Dandelion leaves are an excellent source of vitamins A, B, C and D (the vitamin A content is higher than that of carrots). Dandelion leaves are also an excellent source of dietary copper. As well as the laves, the flowers and flower buds of dandelions can also be eaten. The flowers tend to be rather bitter if eaten raw and are better lightly fried before using in other dishes. The flower buds are excellent and work well in fritters or stir-fries. They can also be pickled and uses as a caper substitute. The leaves can also be steeped in water to make a tea and are also used to make dandelion wine.

Dandelion roots can be eaten raw or cooked and have bitter turnip-like flavour. The roots of 2 year old plants can be dug up, scraped clean, dried and roasted before being ground. This makes a very acceptable caffeine-free coffee substitute. The leaves and root can also be infused in water to make a tisane.

References:

[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants