In the early days of the American West, homesteaders made a coffee-like beverage from roasted chicory or dandelion roots. They may have learned this from Native Americans, or they may have brought the taste for it from the countries from which they had emigrated. Roasted roots had been used to make beverages for hundreds of years before them.

Dandy Blend, a caffeine-free hot drink, was developed in the 1980s, inspired by an herbal formula that originated in Austria. Made from water-soluble extracts of dandelions, chicory, beets, barley and rye, it is sugar-free, with no sweeteners or preservatives, and has a taste similar to coffee.

It is also gluten-free; the gluten from the barley and rye is separated from the mixture and left behind in grounds, which are then composted.

Dandy Blend is a powder that easily dissolves, one rounded teaspoon to one cup of hot water. It can be drunk by children as well as adults.

The company has an interesting website that includes a fascinating list of 39 answers to questions you might never have thought to ask. Wondering if you can drink Dandy Blend if you’re allergic to dandelions? (Yes you can.) Does the Dandy Blend bag contain aluminum? (Only food-grade polyethelene touches the food.) How can you get the product in Malaysia? (Order from iHerbs.com.) Is there any chance it might be cross-contaminated by tree nuts or peanuts? (No.)

Once sold in pharmacies and herb shops, the original mixture was touted as a therapeutic drink to promote good health. There is plenty of information online available about the nutrition of Dandy Blend’s five ingredients, but Dandy Blend makes no claims about its health benefits. If nothing else, it is a coffee-like drink that is caffeine-free and can be enjoyed by everyone in the family, and that may be all you need.

First published October 2015