The benefits of dandelion

What dandelion does

CategoryHeat-clearing

Four natures and five flavoursSweet, Bitter, Cold

MeridiansStomach, Liver

In seasonEarly spring to early summer

Main growing areasAcross Japan

What this vegetable does

It clears excess heat by encouraging sweating and eases red eyes and discomfort in the nose.

How to eat it

Enjoy the leaves in a salad or a dressed dish and the root in tea or a soup, making the most of the aroma and the bitterness.

A yakuzen note

A wild herb, cold in nature, that clears heat and releases toxins, settling fever and swelling brought on by wind-heat.

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Dandelion clears heat and releases toxins, and suits easing the inflammatory signs of wind-heat in particular: fever, red eyes, sneezing and a blocked nose. Long loved as a medicinal herb, it has also been widely eaten as a familiar wild plant.

Picked young in early spring for salads, ohitashi and dressed dishes, its moderate bitterness and fresh aroma whet the appetite. The root, dried for tea or simmered in a soup, gives a roasted aroma and a taste with depth. In Europe it is drunk as dandelion coffee, a substitute for coffee, and it is enjoyed in many forms around the world. What makes dandelion appealing is that a plant you see everywhere has both a place in yakuzen and a place on the everyday table.

Dandelion in season

Dandelion is a vegetable known for its distinctive bitterness and aroma, exactly right for enjoying the feeling of spring. The leaves are tender with a crisp texture, which suits salads and dressed dishes. The root can be dried for tea or used in a soup. A fresh dandelion has bright green leaves and firm stems. Do put it to use as an ingredient that brings colour to the spring table.

Tips on how to eat it

Blanching dandelion leaves briefly softens the bitterness, and used in a salad or a dressed dish they give a clean taste. The root, chopped fine into a soup, brings the aroma forward and gives the dish depth. Dried for tea, its aroma and flavour are easy to enjoy. To keep it, wrap it in damp paper and store it in the fridge to hold its freshness.

Drawing on its bitterness and cold nature, dandelion clears heat from the body, which helps at the early stage of inflammation with heat in it: fever, a sore throat, red eyes, a runny or blocked nose. It is also used for spots and swelling, and can be looked to for releasing toxins. A wild plant it may be, but it is a powerful yakuzen ingredient, valued for clearing things out and for resilience in early spring.