february 2023 herbal meditation: DIY dandy blend
BIG UPDATE: I’ve decided to close the herbal patreon project (for now). That means this will be the last herbal gift + meditation for the foreseeable future! I’ve loved doing this monthly ritual for the past 11 months with y’all. I’m looking forward to focusing my energy in 2023 on new sumistreet projects, writing, and continuing my anti-caste political education journey with a small group of radical South Asians across the U.S.
The best way to keep in touch and learn about upcoming offerings: IG and newsletter!
roasted dandelion & chicory root blend
virgo moon digestion support goals 🔥
made with: dandelion root and roasted chicory root from starwest botanicals
gift inspired by: dandy blend! a herbal beverage that helped me work more easily with dandelion, a bitter herb. this is my DIY / bare bones version of dandy blend. if you <3 this offering, i suggest giving DB a try.
how to use: drink a cup between meals, or 30 minutes before a meal, or right after a meal to support digestion. recipe below!
medicinal benefits: dandelion offers amazing liver support. it flushes toxins from our liver and stimulates digestion, increases digestive enzymes, and can have a gentle laxative effect. both herbs are great source of prebiotic fiber (inulin).
contraindications: do not use and/or first check with a physician if taking lithium, antibiotics, blood thinners, diuretic medicine (“water pill”), heart or blood pressure meds, are allergic to ragweed or pollen, or if pregnant or chestfeeding.
was processed using a coffee grinder and may have some traces of coffee bean (just FYI if you have an intense coffee allergy!)
astro timing: right after the new moon in pisces —> moon in aries.
ROASTED DANDELION & CHICORY ROOT HOT BEVERAGE RECIPE
TLDR: basically make it like you would coffee in a french press, starting with 1/2 teaspoon of the blend.
Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
1.5 teaspoons dandelion + chicory blend (increase if you want a darker brew)
Creamer/milk or non-dairy milk (y’all know my choice is chobani extra creamy oat milk)
Sweetener (honey, maple syrup, sugar) — unless you’re super into bitter beverages, I would not skip this ingredient!
French press (if no press, a pot and fine mesh strainer will work)
Optional add-ins: 1/4 TSP of cinnamon, cacao powder, vanilla extract or syrup, or chili powder
Directions
Bring 2 cups water to a boil.
Measure chicory + dandelion root powder blend into a french press. Add any optional add-ins at this time (ex. cinnamon).
Pour boiling water into the press, stir, insert plunger and lid without pressing down. If you don’t have a press, do this process in a pot.
Allow to sit for at minimum 4 min (can sit up to 20 min if you want a stronger brew).
Press the tea, or strain it into mugs.
Add milk/substitutes and sweetener if desired. I like to foam my oat milk with maple syrup using a frother and then add it in (gives at-home latte vibes~).
Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top! (optional)
In true herbal auntie fashion, I had to send y’all off with some good digestion before closing the sumistreet herbal patreon! The past two months, I’ve been gravitating towards roasted dandelion root tea with milk and maple syrup as an afternoon and post-dinner cozy beverage. It truly brings me virgo moon joy to support my digestion LOL. And imagine how I felt when I learned that both dandelion and chicory root contain prebiotic fiber (inulin) which is geeeeeewd for nourishing your gut microbes?! We really are meant to be in relationship with plants.
This February gift is for my hotties with digestive issues, bloat, constipation, etc etc. But it’s also for anyone who might not have those issues and simply want to love on your liver. This beverage is here to gently detox the liver and help it do it’s job (produce bile which helps us digest food) <3
FYI please note the contraindications above before using!
Some folks call this beverage a “coffee” alternative, but I’m of the mind that we should just let coffee be coffee (!) and enjoy roasted dandelion root and chicory root as their own fab drink. This blend was inspired by Dandy Blend, an instant dandelion herbal beverage (dissolves in water) that first got me actually drinking this bitter herb. Bitter foods and herbs, like coffee, help to stimulate our digestion. But aside from coffee, many of us don’t consume bitter foods or drinks in our day-to-day. Adding in a liver nourishing blend like this, gives our bodies that bitter taste which it might be missing due to not having much of it in our regular diets.
I ground the roots down to a powder so that it could be used as an instant mix for folks who will sometimes decide to not have a beverage if it requires using a strainer or tea press (me). I will say, this blend does not completely dissolve and there will be very fine little dandelion and chicory granules in your cup if you choose to go this route. But hey, I’m drinking a cup of it right now as I type this that I made without straining, and it’s doing the job ✅
For an “instant” beverage, I recommend using 1/2 tsp per cup of hot water.
Some photos below of the roast ➡️ grind ➡️ powder process. The lighter powder is dandelion root and the darker one is chicory.
