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A man from Bielefeld found boxes of cans from the Second World War in an attic
Photo: Marius Rügge / dpa
Unusual discovery in North Rhine-Westphalia: A 24-year-old from Bielefeld found boxes from the Second World War in an attic room.
But he didn't stop there; the man tried the contents.
These were 76 year old dried potatoes from the Australian armed forces.
"Tastes musty, earthy and only remotely like floury potatoes," said Marius Rügge of the dpa news agency.
Even a load of ketchup couldn't change that.
His research on the dried fries would have shown: They come from Melbourne in Australia and were probably intended to supply the soldiers.
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Dried potatoes from the Australian armed forces: "Tastes musty and earthy"
Photo: Marius Rügge / dpa
"I can imagine that during the war or after the war they somehow ended up in the coal shop that used to be here," said Rügge.
The "Westfalen-Blatt" had previously reported.
"They looked like in the movie"
Before the renovation work was due, the young entrepreneur had entered the outbuilding of his place of work with a plumber and had become aware of the boxes that had apparently been unnoticed in the attic for decades.
"They looked like they were in the film," said Rügge.
The dusty and tightly closed wooden boxes are stamped: "Dried Potato", "Dried Potato" - "of course you get curious".
In the boxes, Rügge and his colleagues found two cans of dehydrated potatoes cut into French fries, as well as instructions for preparation.
He then soaked a couple of the potato sticks in water for two hours and then heated them - in the microwave.
He did not like eating from it at all, he told the "Westfalen-Blatt".
"Maybe it would have been better to use a deep fryer," said Rügge.
What is happening with the boxes is not yet clear.
"Maybe someone is interested in it."
He will not eat the dry food.
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bam / dpa
