Fun fact: January 20 is National Take A Coffee Break Day. (Do they make a holiday for everything? Yes. Am I complaining? No.)
If you’re looking for a coffeehouse-style treat that you can enjoy any time of day, a Dandelion Tea Latte might be just the thing for you. My husband first told me about these before we started dating, and he gave me some dandelion tea as a gift the first time he came to visit. If you roast dandelion roots, you can make a tea out of them that tastes quite a bit like coffee (and some companies will add roasted chicory to dandelion tea bags to enhance those coffee notes).
Dandelion also has some surprising health benefits. It’s a good source of potassium and Vitamin C, and it contains antioxidant compounds that may help with inflammation. If you’re trying to detox from different chemicals in your food, some studies suggest that the polysaccharides in dandelion will help your liver filter those out.
This latte is super simple to make, and you don’t need any specialized equipment for it. If you’re looking for an easy way to unwind, make a mug of this, pull out that book you’ve been wanting to read, and enjoy a cozy afternoon on the couch.
Dandelion Tea Latte
12 oz water
1 dandelion tea bag
1/8 tsp finely ground cinnamon
1 TBSP Grade A maple syrup
1 TBSP heavy cream
Optional: a pinch of nutmeg
Bring the water to a rolling boil, and pour over the tea bag in a mug to brew a strong cup of tea. When the tea is finished steeping, add in the cinnamon and the maple syrup, stirring together until the syrup has completely dissolved. Add in the heavy cream, and top with a pinch of nutmeg if you like.
Makes 1 serving.
Hapanese Cuisine 