Instructions
Want to get your hands on the latest traditional Tibetan health food? For centuries it has been used to cleanse the intestinal system and provide general wellbeing. It’s easier to digest than guarana, and costs a fraction of the price of Goji berries. But best of all you’ll find this ancient treatment in your local fruit shop or supermarket.
It’s rhubarb.
All rhubarbs originated on the Himalayan plateaus. There are a couple of hundred known varieties, although only a handful are commonly used for commercial production today. For the record, those folks in the mountain kingdoms didn’t use rhubarb as a food source, they knew it as part of traditional herbal medicine.
The first documented use of rhubarb as a foodstuff was in the 1600’s in England, soon after sugar became available to the general public. Some bright spark decided to see what happened when you cooked rhubarb in sugar. What do you know? A new dessert was born!
I was working as a pastry chef at Rockpool in the late 90’s when I discovered that rhubarb is in fact a vegetable, not a fruit. That was the same day I found out that cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins are fruits, and that grapefruit are berries!! Our fruit supplier really opened my eyes.
Despite their similar appearances rhubarb is not related to celery, although both plants have ribbed stalks called petioles. Actually rhubarb is in the same family as sorrel and buckwheat. Different rhubarbs are grown year round both domestically and for market, although winter is when my favourite rhubarb is in season. It is a variety called rhaponticum and it is best known for remaining fire truck red when cooked. Other rhubarbs can become a little pale.
In days gone by I used to think stewed rhubarb was a bit of a ‘nanna food’, along with lemon butter, homemade jams and bottled peaches. Either I have changed or culinary fashion has, because rhubarb is hot this year, featuring on the menus of many outstanding Sydney restaurants.
I tend to use rhubarb in one of three ways. For desserts I like it stewed with just a little sugar, or baked as batons in icing sugar and balsamic vinegar. But for savoury food I shave it raw into salad. Rhubarb has a naturally sour flavour and crisp texture that contrasts perfectly with sweet vegetables and seasoned dressings.
Rhubarb pie