Notorious as a weed, unsung as a medicinal herb - what gets thrown on the compost in other places is a delicacy in Saarland: the dandelion. The Saarlanders make spreads and desserts from the aromatic flowers and hearty salads from the leaves - as a main course or to accompany hearty dishes such as "Geheirade" dumplings and potatoes. The pickled buds taste a lot like actual capers.
When the season starts in the spring, Tanja looks forward to making delicious dishes as well as her own creations. For a picnic with friends, there’s Lyon sausage with dandelion blossoms - all cooked over the swinging grill.
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Spring brings the Bettsääscher Zeit - ‘Dandelion Days’ - as they are known here. Saarland is Germany's smallest non-city county … and the only state to cultivate and consume the plant in large quantities. A historically contested border area, the region has always been influenced by its French neighbour. Louis XIV first gave the Saarlanders a taste for the plant, which he had cultivated for his soldiers as there wasn't enough growing in the fields.
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Vitamins A and C as well as minerals such as potassium and iron make the dandelion a source of vitality and energy. It is harvested in March and April - only the wild plant thrives beyond this time of year. Compared to its more common cousin, the cultivated variety has a more delicate flavour, and because the leaf stalks grow underground, a bit more crunch.
At our Neighbour's Table - Saarland | Season 2021 - Episode 261
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