They’re Eating the Trees! WARNING: Don’t Eat Your Christmas Tree

I heard the news report other day warning Belgians NOT to eat their Christmas Trees!

If you missed it, officials in the city of Ghent, Belgium where "Ghenters" or "Ghenterians" or "Ghentenarians" or whatever residents of the city are called should make a deliscious Spruce Needle Butter with the leftover needles.  In the great Scandanavian tradition, they pointed out.

Sounds rather gourmet, doesn't it?

Afterall Amazon sells a cookbook "How To Eat Your Christmas Tree: Deliscious Innovative Recipes for Cooking With Trees" available in hardcover!

The description touts ways to "explore the unsung edible heroes of our forests – the humble Christmas trees and their evergreen friends! As well as recipes for cooking with pine, fir and spruce" 

The cookbook also encourages readers to think about food wate, deforestation and climate crisis and alternative ways to celebrate nature so be prepared for some politics with your culinary tips.

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Well, the Scandanavian food historians have never heard of this so-called "tradition" and it was considered tenous at best.

A curator and food historian at the Green Museum in Denmark told the NY Times  “We don’t eat our own Christmas trees”  Bettina Buhl  said “I have a lot of old cookbooks published in Denmark,” andnoted  “I haven’t seen this.”

That was apparently enough for the Belgian government's public health agency to quickly put out the warning;

"PLEASE DON'T EAT YOUR CHRISTMAS TREES"

Trees can be sprayed with pesticides and flame retardant chemicals!

Backtracking a bit, the folks in Ghent said their suggestion was really more about recycling than dining.

Disclaimer:  The warning also applies to articificial trees!

Read More: When Do You Take Down Your Christmas Decorations?