Dandelion root: always roasted?

LaurieLovesLearning

I finally tried some homemade dandelion tea. It had ginger, cloves & cinnamon with it. I think the cloves may have been too strong for my preferences. Somehow the bitterness also took me off guard.

I was surprised that it didn't taste more earthy as many roots do.

My question is then, is it always roasted? Would that change the flavor drastically? Would the roasting process destroy certain health benefits that would be in the raw, dried root?

Lisa K

The dandelion root I use is dried, but it is still a bit bitter. The tea I make also has licorice which makes it a little bit sweet.

Torey

Dandelion root is quite bitter. Roasting will temper the bitterness quite a bit but it also lowers the medicinal properties. Not by much but heat does destroy some of the vitamins and antioxidants. There is some debate as to whether or not it has any effect on the inulin content. But I don't think roasting would affect it as much as it would the vitamins.

nicksamanda11

Roasted definitely tastes much better. It smells like chocolate when it's roasting, one of my favorite smells. When I see my son start digging I know what to look forward to😋