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Comment by bearmode | Hacker News Reader

Dandelion & Burdock is still a popular soft drink in the UK as well.

Dandelion & Burdock is SO SO damn good, I always wondered why it didn't spread to the rest of the world, it was my fav soda growing up. Weird because Americans and Canadians really like Root Beer but not Dandelion & Burdock.

This can be answered in two words: 'Coca' and 'Cola'. There probably isn't room for multiple successful botanical sodas.

I've never even heard of Dandelion & Burdock, but am quite familiar with Root Beer/sarsaparilla. Since you mentioned them together, are there similarities to the taste?

Similar but I'd say Dandelion & Burdock is better than Root Beer (as a RB lover).

Any suggestions on where to find this concoction on this side of the pond? Fentiman's seems to a brand that pops up in searches, but only seeing ridiculous prices like $28 for a 275ml (whatever that is ;-) bottle. No wonder it's not as well known.

Looks like you can get it shipped from Canada, but their minimum order is $30.

https://abitofhome.ca/dandelion-burdock-330ml.html

If you do feel like putting an order of weird British stuff, I'd recommend: Tunnocks Snowballs, Ribena Sparkling Blackcurrant, Jacob's Jaffa Cakes, Chivers UK Lemon Curd, Hula Hoops Variety, Twiglets, Tunnocks Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafers, Custard Creams, Twirl Orange.

All delicious!

It's likely not as cheap to mass produce compared to other soft drinks.

> Weird because Americans and Canadians really like Root Beer but not Dandelion & Burdock.

Dunno how D & B's made, but American root beer isn't made with the "real" ingredients anymore. They're banned because if you give a megadose to mice, sometimes they get cancer. One of those "maybe actually bad, but maybe not really and just overzealous regulation" things.

I mean, also I'm sure it's cheaper to make fake-flavored root beer, but there'd at least be some craft ones making it the real way. But no, it's banned.

Both grow like crazy in the crappy soil around my house, but burdock is insanely tough to dig up and outcompetes everything else, so I get rid of it

Burdock makes the best chips [fries]: https://japan.recipetineats.com/burdock-chips-gobo-chips/

I would not describe it as popular these days

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