Conflicting reports about the consumption of tulips continue to cause uncertainty. In the media you can read about the poison content as well as recipes for a tasty preparation. In fact, the question cannot be answered with a general yes or no. We have compiled all the relevant aspects of enjoying tulips for you here.
Tulips can also be on the plate
Tulip leaves spice up the modern kitchen
Tulips have long since established themselves in the modern flower kitchen. Like almost all petals from Mother Nature's realm, the colorful tulip blossoms enrich cold and warm dishes. The basic requirement for culinary enjoyment is the origin from organic cultivation. Don't reach for flowers that have been grown using pesticides and other chemicals.
Tips for use
Tulip blossoms come to the table with a neutral to slightly sweet taste. Thus, when using them, the focus is on the decoration of food. Gourmets plead for these preparations, among others:
- In large flowers, cut out the pistil to serve in a shrimp cocktail
- Optionally, fill tulip blossoms with savory vegetable puree or sweet cream
- Mix colorful petals into a spring salad
Last but not least, tulip blossoms can be easily sweetened with a mixture of egg white and powdered sugar. The sugared and dried blossoms are transformed into tempting tulip confections and briefly dipped in liquid chocolate.
Tulip bulbs are safe in small quantities
The Poison Control Center of the University Hospital Bonn rightly points out the toxicity of tulips. Tuliposides that are hazardous to health are concentrated in the bulbs in particular. However, as field trials have shown, it only causes discomfort and vomiting when larger amounts are consumed. For safety reasons, more than 4 tulip bulbs should not be eaten.
If you are curious about how tulip bulbs taste, you can try it yourself. Of course, you will be disappointed if you eat it raw. Boiled in water for 15 minutes, the bitter taste is at least partially eliminated. Your palate perceives a sweet aroma reminiscent of roasted chestnuts. The burning aftertaste, combined with a furry coating on the tongue, mean that the desire for a second helping tends towards zero.
tips
In the famine winter of 1944, tulip bulbs saved countless people from death in the Netherlands. When food supplies ran out under German occupation, the authorities released the warehouses, which were bulging with tulip bulbs. Despite the bitter taste, the dry, old onions contained valuable nutrients. Prepared like potatoes, they filled the empty stomachs of the starving population.