 The first mention we have about dandelion coffee apparently comes from an 1830s article in the New York Albion by someone called Dr. Harrison. Kind of vague, but okay. Well this is because Susanna Moody mentions it in her memoir, Roughing it in the Bush, from 1852, where she also calls dandelion coffee a damn fine cup of coffee. But because of this reference and several others, we do know that dandelion coffee got its start around the early 1800s. And it wasn't just in North America that it was taken off, as John Churchill talks about dandelion coffee in the London Pharmaceutical Journal of 1859. Churchill writes, for the past several years, a preparation called dandelion coffee has been growing into more and more general demand and it is now sold by chemists throughout the country. We also know that it became very popular during the American Civil War, especially in the South, as coffee was nearly impossible to get, thanks to the North's embargo and various trade goods like coffee. Then in the early 1900s, dandelion coffee apparently started hanging out with the wrong crowds, because it kind of just disappeared for a while. Probably had something to do with how dandelions became very hated at the time, thanks to lawns. Yeah, thanks lawns. And it wasn't until recently that dandelion coffee started making a resurgence. Thanks to those looking to exit the grip of coffee and look for a nice caffeine-free alternative. What is it like? First off, dandelion coffee isn't actually coffee. It's actually a tea or a tea saying if you want to get technically snubby. But thanks to its flavor and its dark chocolate color, it actually mimics coffee in both its look and taste, with some subtle differences. Now I've actually heard lots of varying accounts as to its taste. Some say it has some floral notes and sweetness to it. Some people say it doesn't have the same bitterness and acidity of coffee, and other people say the exact opposite. It's even more bitter. We will find out for ourselves shortly. How is it actually made? Well, this part is actually very similar to coffee, except we're using dandelion roots instead of beans. First, you've got to collect up the roots and roast those babies up. If you're roasting fresh dandelion root, most people say to do it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes until they're completely dry and brown, but not burned. Now, depending if you have a hotter convection-style oven, you may need to adjust this down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes. Next, grind those freshly roasted roots up. And then of course, brew them by whatever method you choose. There's some people saying you have the option not to grind them up, and you can just use those roasted roots for your coffee. But they've also heard that this does slightly mess with the brewing time and the flavor of it. So, it's up to you if you want to try it. How much do you use to make a cup? I have actually seen a wide variety of recipes for dandelion coffee now. And really, it's just a matter of how strong you want it. I've seen ranges of one tablespoon of ground dandelion root for about one cup or 250 milliliters of water to up to three tablespoons for one cup. So, you might just want to start easy and aim for the lower end when you first have it. Or be prepared to feel the power dandelion root. Next, you're going to need to use boiling water and steep it from anywhere from seven up to 15 minutes. And again, it's merely a matter of just how much you want your coffee to curl your toes. Good coffee! Often people will add other healthy bits like roasted chicory root and some dried sugar beet. But today, I'm going to have straight dandelion coffee. But I'm going to do it in a little bit of a taste test format. I'm going to have one cup with some French press and one cup with an espresso version. And then I'll probably do it the way I normally do with a little bit of milk and sugar at it. I'm going to go make some dandelion coffee! Let's see what we've got! Okay, so I took the middle ground from my French press version and I did two tablespoons for one cup or 250 milliliters of water. Here we go! Okay, the scent is definitely similar. Okay, I also went 10 minutes on this for the actual time on my 10 minutes. It definitely isn't very harsh for my taste buds. When I have coffee straight black like this, usually it's like, oh, too much for me! So, I am actually not finding it as bitter. Yeah, and I am personally also finding a little bit more of that sweetness, not necessarily floral notes, I would say. The more I have it, the more I start feeling the bitterness on the back of my throat. I think it is very much along the lines of what they are saying and for me, it leans more towards the side of it. It is less harsh, it's not as bitter and not as acidic. I mean, there still is a touch of acidity there, I'd say, and a touch of astringency. So yeah, it does leave me with a little bit of a weird aftertaste, but coffee can do that to me as well. So, I mean, that's nothing unusual as far as that's concerned. It does have that bitter aftertaste to it. But in the initial palette, it isn't very hard at all, and that's really nice. I really like that fact. So if you are looking for something that isn't quite as harsh, if you brew it right, yeah, I think this is doing good. Like I said, this was the middle ground. This was the two tablespoons to the 250 milliliters. So, that was the first one. Here's the espresso version. Skull! Now, with the espresso version, I kind of anticipated this might happen. It's actually even less strong. I think it's just because it's not so much of a brew tum. I tried to actually grind it up so it was more like espresso beans, where I did a shorter grind on the French press and I did a longer grind on this one so it was more fine, which is what you're supposed to do for an espresso. Yeah, it doesn't feel too harsh or anything. It doesn't feel too strong. Yeah, I'm quite pleased with the way dandelion root coffee tastes. If you guys had it before, let me know in the comments section down below if you have, because, uh, yeah, I'm really happy with it. I was expecting it to be a lot more like, oh gosh, no, it's more bitter than they said it would be. Oh, God! So I am really pleasantly surprised, really. So that is dandelion coffee. What's the verdict? Good stuff! If you liked this video, then you should watch the history of dandelions or the mythology of dandelions next. Please be kind, take care of each other, and enjoy yourself a nice cup of dandelion coffee.