Often brewed as a coffee substitute, the roots of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) can also be used as an ingredient in root beer. The cleaned, raw roots can also be sliced into salads or cooked and added to other vegetables. The taproot is white on the inside and dark brown on the outside and grows up to six inches long. The plant first appeared in the 10th century journals of Arabian physicians. By the 16th century, the British considered Dandelion a valuable herbal plant and it has held a distinguished place among European herbalists for centuries. When the whole plant is used, Dandelion may work as a natural dye and turn a fabric a deep magenta.