We all have encountered the wacky historical tidbit concerning the tulip bulb mania in Holland in the 1600s, when the Dutch people became fascinated with rare tulips. As the story first told by Scottish author Charles Mackay goes, fortunes were lost and families ruined when the tulip bubble burst in 1637. More recent research by historian Anne Goldgar suggests Mackay’s report is more fiction that fact. The Dutch people in the 1630s weren’t as foolish as we’ve been told.
What is true is that today’s Netherlands grows about 90% of the world’s tulip bulbs, and they’ve had the corner on the market for at least a century, and perhaps all the way back to the 1600s. They grow a lot of flowers there.
Just like they were at the outbreak of WWII. However, the Dutch people didn’t take well to being occupied and efforts of the resistance angered the Nazis to the point that they cut off food supplies. During the Hunger Winter (Hongerwinter) of 1944-45, 20,000 Dutch people died of starvation.[1] The others, particularly urban dwellers, survived by eating tulips.
The practice of eating tulips raises red flags across the internet, except in Europe where it seems more acceptable. After all, they saved many a Dutch child’s life.
Much of what the Dutch ate during the Hunger Winter were old, dry, bitter bulbs, the ones that weren’t planted the previous season because of the war. (New, fresh bulbs taste much better, milky and sweet.) At the time, the Dutch government, working with physicians, developed and printed recipes for using the flower bulbs as food. And the people ate them, because they had nothing else. Tulip bulbs are generally considered famine food, not something you want to plan on eating. When push comes to shove for our neighbors, however, tulip bulbs are something to keep in mind. Fortunately, the petals are edible and you may even want to experiment with them this spring. I know I will be. Some of the tulip salads look so pretty!
SPECIES SELECTION/GUIDELINES
Most sources on eating tulip bulbs caution to know the exact species of tulips, because some are toxic. Of course, we aren’t likely to know what is growing in our yards or the neighbors’. If we’re contemplating eating tulip bulbs, it’s because society has collapsed and most of the food is gone. We won’t have any idea of what tulips we have growing.
So keep in mind: All tulip petals are perfectly safe. They either taste good or they don’t. The tulip bulbs range from edible to toxic, meaning they may cause stomach upset. A few fatalities have been attributed to tulip bulb consumption. I made no attempt to verify this. The more informed sources all state that it is the inner yellow core that is toxic. Remove that, and you’ll be just fine.
Remember, there is a difference between edible (won’t kill or make you sick) and palatable (tastes good). Petals that have a strong, bitter scent aren’t likely to be palatable. [2] Varieties reported to be edible include:
Angelique[3]
Queen of the Night[4]
Darwin Hybrid[5]. Large, colorful blooms retain color even after cooking. Sweet and slightly spicy. [6]
Gouda, sweet, nutty flavor profile[7]
Lily-flowered Darwin hybrid[8]
Tulipa clusiana[9]
Tulipa gesneriana[10]
Fosteriana[11]
Lily-flowered[12]
Parrot[13]
Fringed[14]
Be sure the bulbs and flowers haven’t been treated with pesticides, herbicides, or anything else you don’t want on your food.
Choose fresh flower petals for adding to salads or using as edible cups for sweet dishes or savory appetizers.
Tulips are from the same family as garlic and onions. Peel the fresh bulbs just like an onion to remove the dry outer skin. Cut in half and remove the bitter yellow core. It is toxic, not poisonous. It may cause stomach upset.
TASTE/FLAVOR
Petals. The flavor varies by variety, ranging from lettuce-like, to bean-like, to peppery. Some say they taste like cucumbers.[15] Camargue, Purple Prince, and Lalibela are reputed to have the best flavor.[16] Of course, if one is considering eating the tulips, they probably aren’t labeled. So this guideline from another source: Peach, pink, and white are generally the sweetest; red and yellow are the most flavorful.[17]
Fresh bulbs are said to taste like onions, potatoes, or milk. [18] They have more calories than potatoes.[19] Dried, old bulbs taste like bitter sawdust. [20]
Recipes will be posted tomorrow.
[1] https://dutchreview.com/culture/the-hunger-winter-the-dutch-famine-of-1944-45/
[2] https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/edible-tulips-culinary-uses-and-recipes
[3] https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/edible-tulips-culinary-uses-and-recipes
[4] https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/edible-tulips-culinary-uses-and-recipes
[5] https://flowersgeek.com/are-species-tulips-edible/
[6] https://plantgrowerworld.com/are-tulips-edible-a-guide-to-foraging-and-cooking-with-tulip-flowers/ either AI-written or the author is an idiot. Contradicts himself several times about which species are edible.
[7] https://plantgrowerworld.com/are-tulips-edible-a-guide-to-foraging-and-cooking-with-tulip-flowers/
[8] https://plantgrowerworld.com/are-tulips-edible-a-guide-to-foraging-and-cooking-with-tulip-flowers/
[9] https://plantgrowerworld.com/are-tulips-edible-a-guide-to-foraging-and-cooking-with-tulip-flowers/
[10] https://cookingupdate.com/how-to-cook-tulip-bulbs/
[11] https://flowersgeek.com/are-species-tulips-edible/
[12] https://flowersgeek.com/are-species-tulips-edible/
[13] https://flowersgeek.com/are-species-tulips-edible/
[14] https://flowersgeek.com/are-species-tulips-edible/
[15] https://www.chefsresource.com/faq/can-you-eat-tulips/
[16] https://www.gardenfine.com/are-tulips-edible/
[17] https://www.eattheweeds.com/tulips-famine-food-appetizer-assistant-2/
[18] https://www.gardenfine.com/are-tulips-edible/
[19] https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/are-tulips-edible
[20] https://www.gardenfine.com/are-tulips-edible/
little known >>> at the very tailend of WW2 - the Lowlanders were in such dire starvation state - a cease-fire was arranged and the remaining occupied territory was literally bombed with food - actual bombing missions were canceled and bombers were loaded with combat rations and other food - there was designated parks & other open area target zones - credited with saving 10,000s .......
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