Where are rhubarb grown in the UK?

Where are rhubarb grown in the UK?

The majority of Britain’s rhubarb crop comes from what is known as the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle – an area between Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford. The location of the Rhubarb Triangle is no casual accident; being a native of Siberia, rhubarb thrives in the cold, damp, loamy soil.

Is rhubarb native to UK?

In 1877 the forcing of rhubarb began in Yorkshire. The Whitwell family of Leeds are generally regarded as being the first large-scale grower to cause significant damage to the London growers. Rhubarb, a native of Siberia was originally found growing on the banks of the river Volga.

Does rhubarb grow wild in the UK?

This species is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales therefore, it is also an offence to plant or otherwise cause to grow these species in the wild.

Where is rhubarb imported from?

Since the 11th century Rheum rhabarbarum L. has been imported from Central Asia or China via the Arabic medicine of the Middle Ages and the School of Salerno into the Western medicine of the Middle Ages, where not the stems, as today, but above all the underground shoots – especially Preparation of medicines – found …

Where does Yorkshire rhubarb come from?

Rhubarb is native to Siberia and thrives in the wet cold winters in Yorkshire. West Yorkshire once produced 90% of the world’s winter forced rhubarb from the forcing sheds that were common across the fields there.

Why is rhubarb so popular in the UK?

Widespread consumption of rhubarb stalks began in Britain in the early 19th century with its popular adoption as an ingredient in desserts and wine making. The accidental discovery of forced rhubarb (growing rhubarb in winter) accelerated the growing popularity of rhubarb to the point of a mania in 1800’s Britain.

Where can I find wild rhubarb?

Wild rhubarb is often found on the roadside, waste areas, pastures and ditch banks. It has dark green, wooly leaves and hollow stalks. Prior to harvesting, ensure that the plant is healthy and free of diseases.

Why is it called rhubarb?

Etymology. The word rhubarb is likely to have derived in the 14th century from the Old French rubarbe, which came from the Latin rheubarbarum and Greek rha barbaron, meaning ‘foreign rhubarb’. The Greek physician Dioscorides used the Greek word ῥᾶ (rha), whereas Galen later used ῥῆον (rhēon), Latin rheum.

Why is rhubarb bad for you?

If you grow your own rhubarb, be careful to avoid the leaves, as their high levels of oxalic acid make them poisonous. At lower concentrations, this compound isn’t harmful for most people. But the amount in rhubarb leaves can cause severe vomiting and at very high levels, it could be fatal.

Is rhubarb popular in the UK?

It was always more popular in Britain and the U.S. than elsewhere but rhubarb also achieved noteworthy popularity in Australia and New Zealand. Culinary uses also spread to northern Europe. At its most popular commercial quantities of rhubarb were grown outdoors as well as in greenhouses and dark cellars.

Is rhubarb in season now UK?

In temperate climates, rhubarb is one of the first food plants harvested, usually in mid- to late spring and the season for field-grown plants lasts until September.

Why is rhubarb illegal in Russia?

from 1750 to 1850 Russia was making a fortune from trading rhubarb root through st Petersburg to europe via the baltic. Russia supplied and controlled the export of the dried root, thus controlling its price. it banned the export of the seeds to block the growing of the plant elsewhere.

Where is the Rhubarb Triangle in the UK?

The Rhubarb Triangle covers a 9-square-mile triangle in West Yorkshire, infamous for producing early forced rhubarb and then providing it to all corners of the UK.

How is the first rhubarb harvested in the UK?

In the United Kingdom, the first rhubarb of the year is harvested by candlelight in forcing sheds where all other light is excluded, a practice that produces a sweeter, more tender stalk.

Where does the word rhubarb come from and where does it come from?

Most experts conclude that the Rhubarb comes from. a French word rubarbe that came from the Medieval Latin word Rheubarbarum, or from the Greek, Rha barbaron. Rha was a name the Scythians who lived almost 3000 years ago around the Ukraine used for what is now the Volga River.

Where did the name rheum barbarum come from?

The other Greek word is rha, an ancient name for the Volga River in Russian, where rhubarb was cultivated, having been introduced there from China via the Silk Road. In medieval Latin, rheon and rha became rheum barbarum, literally “foreign rhubarb” or “strange rhubarb”, and evolved later into rheubarbarum.