Click Above To Close
FOOD RESOURCE
COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY |
RHUBARB, RHEUM PALMATUM, PIEPLANT,
Excerpts from Bender, Arnold E. 1990. Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology. Butterworths, Boston.
Leaf-stalks of perennial plant, Rheum rhaponticum; contains only traces of protein and carbohydrate, 6 kcal (20 kJ) per 100 g, 10 mg vitamin C raw, 7 mg cooked. High content of oxalate; leaves are toxic for this reason.
Garrett, Theodore Francis (edited by). 1898. the Encyclopedia of Practical Cookery. L. Upcott Gill, 170, Strand, W.C. London. Vol. III
is said to be derived from Rha the ancient name of the Volga, on whose banks Rhubarb grows naturally, but according to others, the names comes from the Greek rheo - to flow, alluding to the purgative properties of the roots. The tender leaf-stalks are used.
Grimes, William. 2004. Eating Your Worlds. Oxford University Press.
is the thick leaf stalks of a cultivated plant of the dock family, which are reddish or green and eaten as a fruit after cooking.
-
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French reubarbe, from a shortening of medieval Latin rheubarbarum, alteration of rhabarbarum 'foreign rhubarb', from Greek rha 'rhubarb') + barbaros 'foreign.'
Excerpts from Hawkes, Alex D. 1968. A World of Vegetable Cookery. Simon and Schuster, New York.
Rhubarb or pieplant is a large, showy, perennial vegetable (Rheum Rhaponticum, of the Buckwheat Family), probably originally from the southern parts of Siberia, but now extensively cultivated in temperatre lands for its juicy, acid, thickened leaf stalks. The plant is a singularly ornamental one, often several feet tall, with huge leaves that make an attractive show in the garden during their prime.
Appearance: Plants stand erect up to several feet in height and have
branching roots. large triangular leaf laminae are elevated on cylindrical
petioles. Petioles grow from the crown; the bud bearing part of the plant
that lies between the stem and the root. As rhubarb plants mature the rootstock
gradually decays and a stem is formed above the ground. Rhubarb is of a
comparatively high acidity for vegetable matter; major acids that occur
are acetic, succinic, lactic, oxalic, malic and citric. Of these acids malic
predominates in all varieties. Medicinal cultivars of rhubarb are grown
for their rhizomes and roots are larger than the roots of varieties grown
as vegetables.
Composition: Protein 0.5%
Water 95%
Carbohydrate 4%
Minerals/Ash 0.7%
Other: oxalic acid: laminal 0.3-1.1%; petiole 0.4-1%
Major Geographic Areas Utilized: Rhubarb is used as both a vegetable
and medicinally in many areas of the world; included its native China and
other Asian countries; Afghanistan; Iran; the United States, and other cooler
regions of this globes temperature zones. Italy makes Rhubarb liqueur
In India the fruit is fermented into wine and even the seeds are eaten in
times of drought and lack of food.
Historical Availability: Rhubarb has been used for its medicinal qualities for thousands of years. The first written documentation was in the Chinese herbal Pen-King around 2700B.C. It was then imported to Russia where it still grows wild. Around the 16th century rhubarb was imported to England. Around the middle of the 17th century rhubarb came to America. However, rhubarb was not widely used as a food until the early 19th century.
Considerations in Food Processing/Preparation/Safety: Even though
rhubarb is a vegetable it is used more like a fruit; it requires a considerable
amount of sweetener. Rhubarb can be packed in cans and preserved by heating.
However, there is a corrosion problem with enameled cans, making glass containers
a better choice. There are discrepancies in the research about what makes
rhubarb leaves poisonous. The general consensus is don't eat the leaves.
The oxalic acid content of rhubarb is not harmful in small amounts. However,
large quantities of this acid to humans may combine with calcium into soluble
salts, thus depriving the body of this essential mineral.
Further Information
Dusky red stalks earn the nickname the"Pie Plant".
Field-grown rhubarb is harvested from April through May. Mild-flavored, pink hot-house varieties are available most of the year.
Choose crisp, unblemished stalks. A pound yields about 4 cups sliced rhubarb.
Store fresh stalks, loosely wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator, use within 2 to 3 days.
To prepare, wash stalks and remove all leaves. (Note: Leaves and roots
of rhubarb are toxic. Only the stalks are edible.) Peel away any tough
strings,
Choosing The Rhubarb
This fruit can be used in pies, turnovers, crisps, fools, and compotes.
Choose firm, brightly colored stalks with no brownish edges; slender stalks
will be the most tender.
Hedrick, U.P. editor. 1919. Sturtevant's Notes on Edible Plants. Report of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station for the Year 1919 II. Albany, J.B Lyon Company, State Printers. [References Available]
is a plant of Mongolia. This plant first reached Europe in 1763 or 1758. The footstalks are much smaller than those of other kinds, hence it is not in general cultivation. It is yet rare in France, although this species is superior in quality, as it is quite tender.
RHEUM COMPACTUM Polygonaceae, PIEPLANT, RHUBARB
is a plant of Tartry and China; first known in Europe in 1758. In the Bon Jardinier, 1882, this is said to be the species principally grown in France as a vegetable, but Vilmorin refers his varieties to Rheum hybridum.
RHEUM EMODI, PIEPLANT, RED-VEINED PIEPLANT, RHUBARB
is a plant of Himalayas. This species was introduced into Britain about 1828. It is said by Loudon to have an excellent flavor, somewhat resembling that of apples, and is excellent for a late crop, and the Bon Jardinier, 1882, says the petioles are longer and more esteemed than those of other species. On the contrary, Burr, 1863, says the leaf-stalks, although attaining an immense size, are unfit for use on account of their purgative properties, but the plant is sometimes cultivated for its leaves, often a yard in diameter, which are useful for covering baskets containing vegetables or fruit. the wild rhubarb about Kabul is blanched for use as a vegetable and, under the name of rewash, is brought to the market. Gravel is piled about the sprout as it breaks from the earth, and by continuing the process, the plant is forced to grow tot he height of 18 or 20 inches. Another process is to cover the plant with an earthen jar, and the sprout then curls itself spirally within the jar and becomes white, crisp and free from fiber. it is eaten in its raw state with either salt or sugar and makes a favorite preserve.
RHEUM RHAPONTICUM, PIEPLANT, RHUBARB
is a southern Siberia and the region of the Volga. This species, the commonest of the rhubarbs, was introduced into Europe about 1608. It was cultivated at Padua by Prosper Alpinus, and seeds from this source were planted by Parkinson in England about 1640 or before. There is no reference, however, to its use as a vegetable by Alpinus, 1627, nor by Ray, 1686, although the latter refers to the acid stalks being more grateful than that of garden sorrel. In 1778, however, Mawe, says its young stalks in spring, being cut and peeled, are used for tarts. In 1806, McMahon, mentions rhubarb in American gardens and says the footstalks are very frequently used and are much esteemed for tarts and pies. In 1733, Bryant, describes the footstalks as two feet long and thicker than a man's finger at the base.
"Thirty years ago," says J. Lowell in the Massachusetts Agricultural Repository, 1822, "we were strangers to rhubarb , now in general use and constantly in our markets, and we are indebted for its introduction to an amateur in the Stte of Maine." T.S. Gold of Connecticut writes that his father purchased a small package of pieplant seeds in 1820 and raised the first plants then known in his vicinity. The seed was sold by thorburn in 1828. The globular pouch of unopened flowers is said to form a dish of great delicacy. Stalks weighing two pounds, eleven and one-half ounces have been exhibited at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.RHEUM HYBRIDUM, PIEPLANT, RHUBARB
is a plant from Mongolia. This is the species to which oru largest and finest varieties are usually referred. Rhubarb was first noticed in England in 1773 or 1774 but it did not come into use as a culinary plant until about 1827. In 1829, a footstalk was noted as sixteen inches long. The Victoria rhubarb of our gardens is referred to this species.
Compiled for Food Resource http://food.oregonstate.edu