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History

Tulips in WWII

Were tulip bulbs eaten during World War II?

Tulips as Food

Tulip bulbs can be eaten, but it is not common. However, tulips did serve as a source of food in Holland in the winter of 1944-1945, deep into the second World War.

The situation in Amsterdam had grown hopeless, and in December a freeze started that would last for several months. Starvation became extremely common, and many people perished. For the first time, eating tulip bulbs became common, along with several other agricultural products not typically considered edible (such as sugar beets) in an effort to prevent starvation.