Just browsing through the June edition of KG when I spotted on page 30 a photo of a pink dahlia which has been chosen by the Natuonal Botanic Garden of Wales for its edible tuber.
Now this is a complete surprise to me as I thought dahlia tibers, like tulip bulbs were poisonous to humans.
Does anybody know instances of humans actually eating them? And can ALL dahlia tubers be eaten or is it just a selected few varieties?
i am not volunteering to be a guinea pig in this instance. I have no idea how one would best go about coking them or how and where the practice originated.
Edible flowers
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robo
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Funny thing is my wife has been talking about the same thing over the last week, she says only eat ones that have not been treated or sprayed with any type of chemical which seems to be the done thing these days, she has read an article on it but she has no short term memory since her stroke three and a half years ago so don't know where it was ,she seems to think you are better growing from seeds if you are going to eat them we are also growing nasturtiums for eating as well
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Geoff
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https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PJb ... ar&f=false
http://www.fluwel.com/eating-tulip-bulbs
There are quite a few references to eating bulbs of one sort or another in desperate times.
http://www.fluwel.com/eating-tulip-bulbs
There are quite a few references to eating bulbs of one sort or another in desperate times.
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PLUMPUDDING
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I mentioned my dahlia tuber rosti a year or two ago. It was very tasty and my partner didn't even know he was eating dahlia until I told him. No ill effects either 
I think some varieties are a bit sweeter than others, but just chose a couple of nice fat ones. I haven't tried cooking them any other ways as I haven't got that many dahlias.
I think some varieties are a bit sweeter than others, but just chose a couple of nice fat ones. I haven't tried cooking them any other ways as I haven't got that many dahlias.
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Westi
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I've heard of eating dahlia tubers & read something, somewhere about the best ones. Don't think it will appear on my menu anytime soon, but Primrose we may have you to thank for the next big fad! (Quick get an agent & dahlia company on board before James Wong gets on the bandwagon)! 
Westi
Westi
Westi
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PLUMPUDDING
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It was James Wong who said they were edible in the first place in one of his books, and I think Suttons who were selling the tubers.
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sally wright
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Dear All,
Dahlias tubers were widely eaten in Mexico but the practice is not common any more. Some attempts were made to introduce them into Europe for consumption but the idea did not become accepted.
I think that there are several reasons that they did not become widely cultivated in Europe.
They need to be propagated from cuttings like sweet potatoes because they do not divide well without a lot of damage to the tubers. So unless you have heat to start them off they would not have time to grow big enough to warrant harvest before the frost got the tops. Do bear in mind that they were introduced around the time of the little ice age when growing seasons were shorter and greenhouse technology was in it's infancy.
The plants that would yield the largest tubers are the tallest plants and they need staking to avoid them breaking stems or levering themselves out of the ground which reduced the yield considerably. This is a lot of work compared to grain or potatoes.
Post harvest they are brittle and would be hard to prepare compared to potatoes. As I have never eaten Dahlias I would not like to comment on the flavour but they may have tasted a little bit too strange for people used to European grains and potatoes.
Regards Sally Wright.
Dahlias tubers were widely eaten in Mexico but the practice is not common any more. Some attempts were made to introduce them into Europe for consumption but the idea did not become accepted.
I think that there are several reasons that they did not become widely cultivated in Europe.
They need to be propagated from cuttings like sweet potatoes because they do not divide well without a lot of damage to the tubers. So unless you have heat to start them off they would not have time to grow big enough to warrant harvest before the frost got the tops. Do bear in mind that they were introduced around the time of the little ice age when growing seasons were shorter and greenhouse technology was in it's infancy.
The plants that would yield the largest tubers are the tallest plants and they need staking to avoid them breaking stems or levering themselves out of the ground which reduced the yield considerably. This is a lot of work compared to grain or potatoes.
Post harvest they are brittle and would be hard to prepare compared to potatoes. As I have never eaten Dahlias I would not like to comment on the flavour but they may have tasted a little bit too strange for people used to European grains and potatoes.
Regards Sally Wright.
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robo
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We planted some Dahlia seeds today in the pollytunnel down the plot ,inside the packet was instructions and recipes the only problem is the one who knows everything can't remember where she put the packet ,seems she has put it in a safe place probably with the fifty euro note and six rings we have been searching for since her stroke
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alan refail
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robo wrote:We planted some Dahlia seeds today in the pollytunnel down the plot ,inside the packet was instructions and recipes the only problem is the one who knows everything can't remember where she put the packet ,seems she has put it in a safe place probably with the fifty euro note and six rings we have been searching for since her stroke
Try this link http://homegrown-revolution.co.uk/burie ... hlia-yams/
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)