The History of Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a perennial plant in the buckwheat family. It was used for medicinal purposes in ancient China as far back as 5,000 years ago. It is native to southern Siberia and gets its name from the Rha River (now the Volga). It was traded as a cure for stomachaches and fevers for many centuries, but was not ingested until the English tried consuming it in the 17th century. However, because the leaves are poisonous, this proved disastrous and interest in the plant plummeted for almost 200 years.  However, in the late 18th century, Europeans discovered that the stalks of the plant could be safely consumed and were particularly well-suited to tarts and baked goods, giving rise to a new nickname, “pieplant.” Rhubarb was introduced to the Americas by colonists sometime before 1800 and caught on there as well. It became especially popular in jams, sauces, and pies, including the beloved strawberry-rhubarb pie, which remains one of the most popular ways to use rhubarb today.