Rhubarb emerges from the shadows
The queen of rustic pies and crumbles, rhubarb is best enjoyed as a fruit, whereas it is a vegetable. This original plant leaves behind its old-fashioned trappings to spice up the most creative dishes and awaken both sweet and savory palates. One of the first spring vegetables, but the most recent to hit our plates, it's making a name for itself time and time again.
Native to Northern Asia, rhubarb (rheum, family Polygonaceae) was cultivated for the virtues attributed to its purgative root. It wasn't until the Middle Ages that it was imported to Europe for its medicinal qualities, and it took a little longer for it to be appreciated as anything other than an ornamental plant. It was the English who first tried to domesticate its high acidity by skilfully dosing it with sugar.
This article is taken from Gault&Millau, le magazine #9. Find the latest issue on newsstands, in our e-boutique or on the Gault&Millau iOS or Android app . It is also available online onPressReader.
