from Hacker News

Forced rhubarb, a vegetable deprived of sunlight, is having a renaissance (2019)

by cellover on 7/28/23, 11:13 AM with 122 comments

  • by thedailymail on 7/30/23, 5:41 AM

    Mentioned in the article, but forced rhubarb grows so fast you can hear it. This soundcloud file suggests hearing it in a darkened vault by candlelight would be extraordinary experience!

    https://soundcloud.com/rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb/a-mass-of-pop...

  • by Daub on 7/30/23, 7:42 AM

    Time for mention of the rhubarb triangle... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb_Triangle

    From the Wikipedia article...

    The Rhubarb Triangle is a 9-square-mile (23 km2) area of West Yorkshire, England between Wakefield, Morley, and Rothwell famous for producing early forced rhubarb. It includes Kirkhamgate, East Ardsley, Stanley, Lofthouse and Carlton. The Rhubarb Triangle was originally much bigger, covering an area between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield. From the 1900s to 1930s, the rhubarb industry expanded and at its peak covered an area of about 30 square miles (78 km2).

  • by rusanu on 7/30/23, 8:23 AM

    Remember that rhubarb leaves are actually poisonous due to oxalic acid (I've seen quotes of 2-5 kg od leaves being a lethal dose).

    https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/does-rhub...

  • by frereubu on 7/30/23, 3:21 PM

    This is an enjoyable article from 2017 about the role of Edinburgh in the history of rhubarb in the UK. (I think I may even have originally discovered it on HN). Abstract:

    Rhubarb was grown and used throughout China for thousands of years. It then found its way to St Petersburg where the Romanovs developed a flourishing trade in the plant to the rest of Europe. James Mounsey, a physician to the Tsar, brought back seeds from Russia to Scotland at considerable risk to himself. He passed some of the seeds to Alexander Dick and John Hope. Both these physicians then grew rhubarb at Prestonfield and the Botanic Garden (both in Edinburgh), respectively. Eventually rhubarb, in the form of Gregory’s powder, became a common and popular medicine throughout the UK.

    [PDF] https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/files/jrcpe_47_1_lee.pd...

  • by Caligatio on 7/30/23, 6:30 AM

    I was actually able to visit the annual Rhubarb festival down in Wetherby and it was much more interesting than expected. In addition to learning about the unusual growing method, it was also surprising the number of rhubarb products for sale (like enough to fill an entire market).

    My biggest take-away was that Slingbys Rhubarb Gin is delicious!

  • by NoZebra120vClip on 7/30/23, 12:16 PM

    According to my father, "rhubarb" is what the extras say in crowd scenes in TV and film. They mumble, "rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb" and it gives the impression of muted, indistinct background conversations.

    By the same token, the choral singer who forgets the lyrics during a performance can sing "watermelon, watermelon" until she gets to a place where she recalls the words. The philosophy is that, as long as you get a convincing vowel in there, people will believe anything you sing.

  • by Luc on 7/30/23, 12:18 PM

    Belgian endive is another vegetable grown in the dark. Vertical farming, no LEDs needed, harvest in 25 days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPr06HDnttU

  • by mongol on 7/30/23, 7:52 AM

    How do you like to eat rhubarb? I mostly know it from rhubarb pie

  • by teaearlgraycold on 7/30/23, 8:40 AM

    I spontaneously became allergic to rhubarb in my teens. Damn shame. It was my favorite pie!

  • by askvictor on 7/30/23, 9:39 AM

    White asparagus is similarly grown in the dark.

  • by bmer on 7/30/23, 12:18 PM

    This kind of sounds like torture, even though it's directed at plants rather than animals or other humans...

  • by pachico on 7/30/23, 7:28 AM

    I live in Spain but I had the chance to travel to northern Europe dozens of times, where I learned to love rhubarb.

    I really would love rhubarb to grow here but it is almost impossible to find, even in big cities.

  • by MeteorMarc on 7/30/23, 7:26 AM

    Much sweeter sounds suspicious. I love ordinary rhubarb but add baking soda to bind much of the acid and then still lots of sugar.

  • by riwsky on 7/30/23, 3:58 PM

    Massive kudos to the BBC, for the editorial discipline required here to avoid "[…] is having its moment in the sun"

  • by darkclouds on 7/30/23, 3:23 PM

    Oxalate sticks.

  • by deafpolygon on 7/30/23, 7:56 AM

    Remember: never rub another man's rhubarbs.