Rhubarb is an interesting plant, with dozens of amazing medicinal, culinary and garden uses. The root has been used for medical purposes by the Chinese for thousands of years, and appears in The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic which is thought to have been compiled about 2,700 years ago. Though Dioscurides’ description of ρηον or ρά indicates that a medicinal root brought to Greece from beyond the Bosphorus may have been rhubarb, commerce in the drug did not become securely established until Islamic times. During Islamic times, it was imported along the Silk Road, reaching Europe in the 14th century through the ports of Aleppo and Smyrna, where it became known as “Turkish rhubarb.”
Although the plant is commonly grown for it’s fleshy stalks, it has many other uses. The root produces a dark brown dye that has traditionally been used in areas where walnut trees cannot grow. The leaves are poisonous, being high in oxalic acid. This can be a huge help to beekeepers, who commonly use oxalic acid to combat Varroa mites in the hive. We’re definitely going to try this, crushing the leaves in a food processor and placing them above the brood nest. Varroa mites can wipe out a colony and spread like wildfire, so any simple natural remedy that can be found is a fantastic thing.
Personally, I like to eat rhubarb. It’s one of those things that people either love or hate…and I love it. We have been eating it in baked crisps, but today I’m making a batch of Spicy Rhubarb Chutney, from a recipe by Jami Boys of the Oregon Cottage. This is a really great condiment, and can be used drizzled on crackers with cream cheese, as a glaze, as the base of a dressing…and as a wonderful alternative to Branston Pickle on an English plowman’s lunch. It’s tangy, chunky, and has a fabulous kick to it.
Sadly, I can’t offer it in the shop, but if you stop by for lunch, chances are very good that you’ll be sampling some yourself!
