Yesterday we presented our take on the health benefits of cooked red dandelions (horta or χόρτα). Today we would like to add to yesterday's entry by briefly discussing a largely overlooked component of this meal: dandelion 'juice' (i.e. the liquid produced when steaming or boiling dandelion greens).
Some people believe that they have discovered the "latest and greatest" in health trends by drinking the liquid of cooked greens. In some cultures, drinking this liquid might be considered uncouth and uncivilized. In others, such as the Greek world, drinking dandelion juice is not a new fad at all. Greek people have been drinking this for centuries, partly because of poverty but primarily because of its perceived health giving properties. With most greens, the water used for boiling holds some of the vitamins and nutrients of the horta that are drawn out by the cooking process.
In traditional Chinese cuisine, many people even roast the roots of the dandelion because of the very rich nutritional value of this part of the dandelion plant; the very thing that annoys many dandelion-haters (who consider this plant only as a weed) is that the root is very long and aggressive and is able to draw from the soil many nutrients for use by the stem and leaves of the dandelion plant. See here for an interesting article about the dandelion root's nutritional value.
You can see that the colour of the water has changed from clear to a rich, golden/greenish colour. It is like having a savoury/bitter natural tea with a bunch of health benefits.
Here is a good article about dandelion juice at the Juice Nut. Although you can put the leaves, whole, uncooked, into a smoothie, a juice blend, or a salad, having the horta boiled and drinking the liquid after is what many Greeks have known for years. We think that the dandelion is just one of many horta to be enjoyed, leaf, stem, cooking liquid and all!
Phytochemicals & amp; Antioxidants in Dandelion JuiceDandelion has more of the antioxidant, vitamin A, than carrots have. In addition, this super-weed contains a phytochemical in the guaianolides family called taraxacin, which is now believed to be largely responsible for dandelion’s digestive tonic effects, and also has antiseptic, expectorant, and germicidal properties.
Source of this nutritional report: http://www.thejuicenut.com/dandelion_juice_the_juice_nut.aspx
The entirety of the Passion Orthros Service of the Twelve Gospels (in English) during Holy Week 2008 at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in St. Clair Shores. Fr. Michael Varlamos, Fr. Athanasios Michalos, and Fr. Anthony Cook celebrate the service.
Source of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DqLjlmmEM0
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