Dandelion Root substitute

Substitutes for Dandelion Root with ratios

1. 2Roasted barley tea (mugicha or boricha)

   Different taste

   Use the same amount

   Whole barley kernels roasted until dark, sold loose or in large teabags in Japanese, Korean and Chinese groceries and now in many supermarkets.

   What changes

   Best for

   everyday caffeine-free brewing, iced drinks, drinking through the evening, when you want no bitterness at all

   Much gentler. It gives you the roasted grain aroma and the brown colour but almost none of dandelion's bitterness, so a mug of it tastes toasty and mild rather than coffee-like. If you are drinking dandelion root because you want something with backbone, brew the barley strong, two tablespoons per two cups, and add a pinch of cocoa powder to put some bitterness back.

2. 3Roasted burdock root (gobo cha)

   Close match

   Use the same amount

   Sliced dried burdock root, roasted, brewed the same way as dandelion.

   What changes

   Burdock is dandelion's nearest relative on the shelf in flavour terms.

   Best for

   matching dandelion's earthy root character, Japanese-style root teas, herbal blends where dandelion was one of several roots

   The single closest flavour match after chicory. It is earthy and slightly sweet with the same faint drying finish, though less bitter and with a woody note some people read as almost mushroomy. If your grocer stocks fresh burdock, you can slice it thin, dry-toast it in a pan until brown and fragrant, and simmer it, which tastes better than most bagged versions.

3. 4Grain coffee blend (Inka, Pero, Caro or Postum style)

   Different taste

   Use 1 teaspoon powder for every cup of dandelion root

   Instant powders built from roasted barley, rye, chicory and sometimes beet, made to be stirred into hot water as a caffeine-free coffee replacement.

   What changes

   Best for

   the fastest caffeine-free cup, recipes needing coffee-like colour and roast, cakes, glazes and ice creams

   Sweeter and maltier than dandelion, with a definite cereal note, and it dissolves instantly instead of needing a simmer. In a mug it reads as a soft mock coffee rather than a bitter root brew. In baking it is arguably better than dandelion because it disperses evenly and deepens chocolate without adding a herbal edge.

4. 5Decaf coffee or a small amount of instant coffee

   Different taste

   Use brew as usual, or ½ teaspoon instant for every cup of dandelion root

   The obvious cheat if what you actually want is the roasted bitter flavour rather than the herbal aspect.

   What changes

   Best for

   recipes where dandelion root was supplying colour and bitterness, chocolate cakes, brownies and frostings, spice rubs and barbecue sauces

   Real coffee is more acidic and fruitier, and dandelion root is flatter and earthier, so a drink made with coffee tastes brighter and sharper. Decaf keeps it near enough caffeine-free but is not caffeine-free, which matters if that was the reason you were using dandelion. In a batter or a sauce, nobody will be able to tell the difference.

5. 6Fresh dandelion roots you dig yourself

   Close match

   Use about 2 tablespoons chopped roasted root for every cup of dandelion root

   Scrub, chop into pea-sized pieces, roast at 175 C or 350 F for 30 to 45 minutes until dark brown and fragrant, then simmer.

   What changes

   Best for

   when no shop nearby stocks it, getting a fresher, more aromatic brew

   Home-roasted root is noticeably more aromatic than bagged root that has sat on a shelf, and roasting depth is entirely in your control: pale roast tastes green and bitter, dark roast tastes nutty and almost chocolatey. Only dig from ground you know has not been treated with weedkiller or run off from a road, wash the roots hard, and take the usual sensible line on foraging: if you are not certain what a plant is, do not brew it. This is a flavour swap, not health advice.