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[Medicinal rhubarb was] produced in the Province of Tangut in large quantities … merchants who come to buy it, convey it to all the world.

Marco Polo

Rhubarb was first described as a medicine in a Chinese herbal remedy dating from 2700 b.c., and for centuries it continued to be grown for its curative qualities. It was nurtured by the monks in the monasteries of Asia and Europe during the Middle Ages (also as a medicine), but it was not until 1777 that it was first recorded in Britain, in an herbal garden at Banbury, Oxfordshire.

In the nineteenth century some interest was taken in using rhubarb for culinary purposes, and it slowly began to appear in London vegetable and fruit markets. In 1855 the term “rhubarb pie” appeared in print for the first time, heralding a dessert that became so popular that rhubarb became known as “pie plant” in North America. Its popularity continued to grow in the nineteenth century, largely because it was so easy to cultivate.

Sometimes only a matter of days would elapse from the moment the huge leaves began to push through the melting snow in early spring until it appeared on the table. For our winter-weary ancestors without our resources of transport, freezers, and methods of preservation, pie plant was welcome for its purgative and astringent properties, as well as its tart flavour.

The American Agriculturist, published in New York in 1862, says it all:

A Spring Tart

Does anybody doubt, or not know, the desirableness of the rhubarb vegetable! Then we pity him. It is one of the finest things in the world, to make a pie or spring tart.

Apples often give out in April and May, and those which remain are wilted and tasteless. Man’s stomach longs for something fresh, crisp and juicy: the pie plant affords that very thing. It forms a connecting link in the year-long chain of articles for pie making.

Think, too, of the doctor’s testimony that it is “one of the most wholesome, cooling and delicious substances that can be used for the table. For dysentery in children, it is an infallible remedy, stewed, seasoned with sugar and eaten in any quantity with bread.” We have tasted samples of fair wine made from this plant. It is also used for jellies and jams.

As The American Agriculturist points out, rhubarb wine was a popular and inexpensive beverage in the nineteenth century, and the cookery books of the period contained many basic recipes for making it. Although not so common today, the elders in many a family still remember it fondly:

Rhubarb Wine

Take 4 pounds of rhubarb to 1 gallon of water, squeeze it, put it into a tub, and pour the water on it; let it steep 3 days, then strain off the liquid; put 3 1/2 pounds of sugar to every gallon, and put it into a barrel, stir it every day for a fortnight, then add a few raisins and a small quantity of isinglass [gelatin], then bung it up for three months. Finally bottle it and in 5 to 6 weeks it will be ready for use.

Although rhubarb is a vegetable, it usually appears on our tables, just as it did on those of our ancestors, in the guise of a fruit. Like many fruits, it is most often dressed up as a dessert. From coast to coast, similar recipes have evolved in Canadian kitchens over the years to the point that any regional or provincial peculiarities have disappeared. Here are just a few:

Rhubarb Fool

1 pound fresh rhubarb, trimmed

4 ounces sugar

finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange

1/2 pint whipping cream

Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch lengths and place in a saucepan with the sugar, orange rind, and juice and bring to a boil with a little water (not more than 1/4 pint) and gently simmer until tender. Purée in a blender or food processor and place in the refrigerator until cold. Whip the cream and fold into the purée. Place in individual serving glasses and put back into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serve with fingers of sponge cake. Serves four.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Dessert

2 cups fresh rhubarb (cut fine)

2 cups fresh strawberries (cut fine)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice on the mixture and then prepare the following topping:

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup flour

Mix topping well and spread (it will be crumbly) on fruit. Bake in moderate oven, 350ºF, for about 40 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream if desired.

Rhubarb Pie Make enough pastry for a two-crust pie and line pie plate. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 tablespoons flour and spread on pastry in bottom of pie plate. Fill with rhubarb that has been washed, wiped dry, and cut into pieces. In a small bowl, combine one well-beaten egg and one cup of sugar. Pour this mixture over the rhubarb. Put on pastry top and bake in hot oven, 425ºF, for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 350ºF and bake until golden brown (approximately 35 minutes).

Serve hot or cold.

Rhubarb Conserve

14 cups rhubarb (cut in 1/2-inch pieces)

3 cups raisins

7 cups sugar

juice of 2 oranges rind of 2 oranges, thickly sliced

1/2 to 1 cup walnuts (if desired)

Combine all ingredients, except walnuts, and let stand one hour. Bring to a boil (uncovered) for 40 minutes, stirring frequently. Add walnuts and boil 5 more minutes. Put in sterilized jars and seal.

Rhubarb Marmalade

4 cups rhubarb (cut fine)

2 cups white sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

Boil rhubarb and sugar until thickened. Do not add water. Add nuts and stir well. Place in sterilized jars and, when cold, seal with paraffin. Store in cool place.

Canned Rhubarb

8 cups rhubarb (cut fine)

5 cups sugar

1 cup water

Let stand overnight. In the morning bring to a boil and add 1 can of crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits. Sterilize jars, fill, seal, and store in a cool place.

Rhubarb Relish for Meat

12 cups rhubarb

6 cups brown sugar

3 cups chopped onions

1 1/4 cups white vinegar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cut rhubarb into small pieces, wash, and dry. Add sugar and let stand for 2 to 3 hours. Add the rest of the ingredients and boil until thick (about 30 to 40 minutes). Stir often to prevent sticking. Store in sterilized jars until ready to use. Serve with meat. This is a particular favourite in Newfoundland.

Whether you are looking for a refreshing dish for the table or a spring tonic and mood brightener, turn to your rhubarb patch. Canadians, for a very long time, have been depending on this plant to cure what ails them.