🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Dandelion, also known as chrysanthemum burdock, earth ginseng, or little standing vegetable, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family.
Dandelion flowers are yellow, resembling chrysanthemums, blooming early in spring with bright colors, making it an ideal ornamental plant for shaded corners or under trees in gardens and courtyards. It serves both ornamental, edible, and medicinal purposes—truly multifunctional.
Dandelion plants grow 15–30 cm tall. They have a conical tuberous root, with the root neck densely covered by fibrous dried leaves. Basal leaves grow in clusters, lanceolate in shape, with 3–5 veins. The capitulum is solitary at the stem apex, ligulate flowers are yellow, flowering from April to May.
Dandelion grows commonly on slopes, grasslands, forest understories, roadside areas, and moist ditches. Found across North China, East China, Northwest China, and Inner Mongolia. Due to its long taproot, it thrives best in deep, fertile, moist, neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam soils.
The young stems and leaves of dandelion are edible and highly nutritious. Per 100 grams of young shoots and leaves: 78 grams water, 3.1 grams protein, 3.2 grams crude fiber, 6.54 mg beta-carotene, 1 mg niacin, 51 mg vitamin C, along with inulin and betaine.
After blanching, dandelion can be used in cold salads, stir-fried with eggs or meat, minced with pork as dumpling filling (like leeks), or pickled, fried, stewed, steamed, made into soups, or porridge.
Stir-Fried Dandelion
500 g dandelion; appropriate amounts of refined salt, monosodium glutamate, scallions, and lard.
Remove impurities, wash thoroughly, blanch briefly in boiling water, rinse to remove bitterness, squeeze dry, then cut into segments. Heat oil, sauté scallions until fragrant, add dandelion and stir-fry. Add salt, cook until flavorful, sprinkle monosodium glutamate, and serve. Texture is crisp and tender, savory and fresh, with effects of clearing heat and toxins, reducing swelling.
Dandelion Braised with Tofu
200 g dandelion, 200 g tofu, appropriate amounts of salt, scallions, monosodium glutamate, lard.
Wash dandelion, blanch briefly, rinse, drain, cut into segments. Cut tofu into small rectangular cubes. Heat lard in a wok to six-tenths hot, sauté scallions until fragrant, add tofu, salt, and a little water, simmer until tofu is flavorful. Add dandelion, cook until infused, sprinkle monosodium glutamate, and serve. Tofu is soft and tender, dandelion crisp and refreshing, with strong onion aroma and balanced taste. This dish combines dandelion and tofu, providing rich protein, fat, beta-carotene, vitamins, etc., effective for reducing swelling, detoxifying, nourishing yin, and moisturizing. Suitable for lung deficiency cough, general weakness, diabetes, carbuncles, and abscesses.
Spicy-Sour Dandelion
1000 g dandelion, 50 g dried red chili, 25 g scallion segments, ginger slices, salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, rice wine, vinegar, Sichuan pepper oil, all in appropriate amounts.
Wash dandelion, cut into 6 cm segments, blanch in boiling water, then soak in cold water for 2 hours. Combine water, dried red chilies, scallion segments, ginger slices, salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, rice wine, and vinegar in a pot, bring to boil, cool down. Submerge dandelion in the cooled brine for 24 hours, then remove and drizzle with Sichuan pepper oil. Crisp and tender texture, salty-sweet-sour-spicy taste with slight sweetness. Effective for clearing heat and toxins, relieving swelling and pain.
Dandelion Chicken Noodle Salad
200 g dandelion, 150 g vermicelli, 50 g chicken breast, half egg white, 25 g garlic paste, 25 g sweet bean sauce, 10 ml rice wine, 15 ml vinegar, monosodium glutamate, clear broth, wet starch, peanut oil, sesame oil, all in appropriate amounts.
Wash dandelion, cut into fine threads, blanch in boiling water until cooked through, rinse with cold water, place in a bowl. Wash vermicelli, cut into strands, blanch until soft, rinse with cold water, drain, and place on top of dandelion.
Chop chicken breast into thin strips, mix with egg white and wet starch.
Heat 15 g oil, sauté 10 g garlic paste until fragrant, add sweet bean sauce and stir until sticky, then add rice wine and clear broth, stir to disperse. Add chicken strips and monosodium glutamate, stir well, pour over dandelion and vermicelli. After cooling, add vinegar, sesame oil, and remaining garlic paste, toss evenly. Serve. Texture is delicate and tender, savory-sour-spicy with rich sauce aroma—ideal for drinking or eating with rice.
Pickled Dandelion Vegetables
Wash young leaves and flower stalks, dry partially, add salt and rub thoroughly, pack into jars, add seasonings, mix well, seal and store. Can be served raw or used in soups.
The root of dandelion is medicinal. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it cold in nature, slightly bitter and astringent, with effects of reducing swelling and detoxifying. Used for five labor injuries, seven damages, carbuncles, and painful swellings. For carbuncles and painful swellings, use 15 g root boiled in water for internal consumption, or fresh root crushed externally. Alternatively, grind root into powder and apply directly to affected area.
<Clearing Heat and Toxins>