What am I? R is for Rhubarb

In What Am I posts, I will collect information about a particular ingredient. For this post, it will be on Rhubarb, the vegie I used to make the wonderful Struesel Loaf .

Rhubarb is a perennial herb with very large leaves. This plant is indigenous to Mongolia. Rhubarb was first planted for medical purposes in Europe in the 16th century. The use of its stalks for eating started in England or France in the 18th century and spread to North America and other parts of the world.

Only use the leaf stalk since the leaf itself is not edible. The stalks are used the same way as fruit, but they are very sour and have to be sweetedned with sugar. The main use is pie fillings, compotes and jams.

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Ref: Food Plant of the World
The photo is courtersy of www.ourohio.org