Is there any simpler pleasure in life than a good cup of coffee?

This inkiest of all beverages has long been a passion of mine, and not just for the obvious caffeine-related benefits. Sure, coffee can help kick start your day like nothing else, but it’s also an incredibly nuanced beverage, one that true connoisseurs would say rivals the complexity of fine wine or Scotch whisky. There’s variance in beans grown in one region of the world versus another, differences in roasting profiles and, of course, dozens of brewing techniques that will each yield a unique finished product.

After college, I found myself doing a brief stint as a barista, something of an unwritten obligation for newly minted English B.A.s, and have never really looked back. It was during these early years in my coffee obsession that I learned about the famous Café du Monde’s New Orleans-style coffee, a regional delicacy began as a way for the city of New Orleans to stretch its limited coffee supplies during the Revolutionary War.

To do this, coffee-starved citizens began mixing roasted roots – most famously chicory root – into their ground coffee, creating a sort of malty flavor profile that you don’t get from your typical cup of Joe. Eventually, the flavors stuck, and the city became famous for the beverage.

But why stop with just chicory? Wouldn’t any rooty green suffice? And can we take coffee out of the equation to brew an entirely wildly harvested beverage? Yes, to all three.

Dandelions, with the long sugary taproots, make the perfect substitute for chicory, and when roasted properly can impart chocolate and malty flavors to your finished cup. Depending on the depth of your roast, dandelion coffee can hold a bit of astringency, similar to a black tea, and pairs well with a little sugar and cream. You can also take it black, which is my preference, but feel free to experiment and adjust to your own tastes.