What is the Big Deal about Dandelion?
I mean really, what is the big deal about this weed that grows in every lawn? It doesn’t taste that great anyway, it is so bitter!
That is for sure, dandelion leaves are BITTER! How do you like bitter tasting greens?
I don’t think I even tasted anything bitter until I was at least 20 years old. I just don’t remember that flavor at our kitchen table. Lemons and limes, that is about as close as I got to tasting something bitter.
Sweet and salty are such common flavors and so many of us were not weaned with bitter foods. It can take some time to develop a taste for bitter tasting plants, especially if it has not been part of your diet.
A little bit of bitter flavor in your meals goes a long way. A tablespoon of dandelion greens sprinkled on a salad or used as a garnish in rice is a simple way to start developing a palate for bitter flavors.
Add in a little bitter flavor to your meals with things like dandelion greens, arugula, radicchio, endive and bitter melon.
Why would you want to do that? If life is already good for you, why would you want to add bitters now?
When you put a bitter food into your mouth, you salivate. Try it. Chew on a little piece of dandelion leaf and see what happens. That extra saliva helps break down your food.
But that is not the end of it. Bitter flavored food s stimulate the entire digestive process. You secrete more enzymes and hormones that help you digest a meal if you have a little bit of bitter flavor in that meal. A little bit of bitter added to your food once in a while, is good for your gut!
I don’t eat bitter foods every day, but several times a week and especially if the meal is larger or heavier, I try to garnish it with a tablespoon of bitter greens to help me digest the food.
Dandelion greens do more than give you the bitter kick start for digestion; they are also full of vitamins and minerals. Dandelion greens contain magnesium potassium; iron, vitamins A, B and C. Dandelion greens are super nutritive and have more calcium than kale.
Do you eat dandelion greens? How do you eat them?
What bitter foods do you eat? What bitter foods did you eat growing up?
Leave a comment in the section below, I would love to know how you have acquired a taste for bitter tasting foods.
Thanks
I’m always learning something new from you.. thank you.
I’m from an Indian background. We grew up drinking dandelion leaf tea for all sort of ailments, especially to cleanse the lever.
Had them always like a green salad on the side. Boiled first, with olive oil on top ,salt and lemon if you like along with feta cheese.
This was awesome. Can you use the leaves in the fall?
Yes, you can use the leaves whenever you find them!
I love dandelion….though I’m usually the type to go more for tea and make oils/body products. I’ll have to try some of your ideas! Thanks for sharing!
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Lisa
great video 🙂 we just gathered some dandelion greens to try 🙂 can you dry and store the leaves?? or make dandelion vinegar with the flowers???
Yep, dry and store the leaves for tea. I put the flowers fresh in to my salads and soups. You could make a vinegar with them, yes
I get my dandelion greens by putting a small handful in my smoothies. This has been a great way to incorporate them into my diet, and you usually can’t tell if they’re there!
I know, you really can sneak them in!
I’ve always loved dandelion greens, even as a child. Growing up, I was always encouraged to try a lot of different foods, and as a result my palette desires a wide variety of different tastes (bitter included).
You are lucky, and it is true, once you get used to the bitter taste, it can become a craving.. Great that you had dandelion as a child!!
I’ve iced it, and that takes away an amazing portion of the bitterness. So, dip the leaves for a minute or two in a bowl of ice water before tearing up for a salad. (Then again, I think that was chicory I was using, which may react differently? It has all the same characteristics of dandylion, though. So maybe icing will work the same.)
Brilliant–I never thought of spreading it out like that! Thank you for more usable wisdom.
After your last video, my son David and I found some plantain and used it on his canker sore. Keep these great videos coming!
Thanks Terry! I am so glad you are passing the wisdom on to your children!