Dahlia Bread

Have you ever tried Dahlia Bread?  Did you know that dahlia tubers are edible?  The dahlia is the national flower of Mexico and dahlia tubers were eaten in Mexico back in the early 1500’s.  Dahlia tubers were grown as a food source by the Aztecs.  I tasted a piece of washed dahlia tuber, and it tasted a little bitter and earthy like a radish or celery.  They say some dahlia cultivars are spicy or sweet, but I have not found one yet; however, I have not been tasting my dahlia tubers as I divide them!  Lol!  As you are dividing dahlia tubers, you could use dahlia tubers where the neck is broken as the tuber is not viable anymore.  I used tubers of a dahlia seedling that I was not keeping anymore.  I wash the dahlia tubers and store them in the refrigerator in the late fall when I am digging dahlias.

I use a pumpkin or sweet potato bread recipe and substitute shredded dahlia tubers.  I love those types of breads as they have cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.  I peel and shred the dahlia tubers.

It tasted like a delicious spice bread.  You would not know there were shredded dahlia tubers in the bread.  You could add raisins, nuts, cranberries, or chocolate chips if you wanted to.  Here is the recipe. 

Dahlia Tuber Bread Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2 eggs

1 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of cooking oil

Mix those ingredients in a mixer and then add the following:

1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2  teaspoon baking powder

1/2  teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2  teaspoon all spice

1/4  teaspoon cloves

1/4  teaspoon nutmeg

Mix these ingredients well.  Wash and peel your dahlia tubers.  Using a box grader, shred the dahlia tubers.  You will need 1 cup of shredded dahlia tubers.  Fold that into your batter.  Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.  It is done when a toothpick comes out clean.  I let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then place the dahlia bread loaf on a serving plate.  Enjoy!