Dandelion coffee Dandelion coffee Dandelion 'coffee' (also dandelion tea) is herbal tea used as a coffee substitute, made from the root of the dandelion plant. The roasted dandelion root pieces and the beverage have some resemblance to coffee in appearance and taste. Susanna Moodie explained how to prepare dandelion 'coffee' in her memoir of living in Canada, "Roughing it in the Bush" (1852), where she mentions that she had heard of it from an article published in the 1830s in "New York Albion" by a certain Dr. Harrison. Dandelion 'coffee' was later mentioned in a "Harpers New Monthly Magazine" story in 1886.
Arctium lappa it is known as "bardana" or "garduna". Plants are cultivated for their slender roots, which can grow about 1 meter long and 2 cm across. The root was traditionally used in Britain as a flavouring in the herbal drink dandelion and burdock, which is still commercially produced. Immature flower stalks may also be harvested in late spring, before flowers appear. The taste resembles that of artichoke, to which the burdock is related. In the second half of the 20th century, burdock achieved international recognition for its culinary use due to the increasing popularity of the macrobiotic diet, which advocates its