"Dandelion coffee" that appears frequently in the NHK morning drama "Gochiso-san". In the drama, "dandelions" were used as a substitute ingredient during the war, when food was scarce. However, recently, we often see dandelion coffee being sold as a “healthy ingredient”. It seems that it is now beginning to attract attention overseas.


According to the US media Today.com, dandelions have a detoxifying and digestive function. Paying attention to its properties, American tea makers Traditional Medicinals and The Republic of Tea manufacture and sell dandelion tea extracted from dandelion roots. By the way, the taste is "sweet and bittersweet with a pleasant roasted scent."


That is not all. At Murrieta Wine Field in California, USA, "dandelion wine" is being made. Dandelion wine, unlike dandelion tea, is brewed using flowers rather than roots. Surprisingly, the taste is a bit like Chardonnay !


As it gets warmer, dandelions will bloom around our homes and on the roadside. Is it okay to pick these up and eat and drink?

About this, the media reports:

"There's nothing you can't do, but it's best to stop. The dandelions you find in the garden aren't edible, so they may have little health benefit. You should leave it to the pros."