Talk:Rhubarb

message: "In former days, a common and affordable sweet for children in parts of the United Kingdom and Sweden was a tender stick of rhubarb, dipped in sugar. It is still eaten this way in western Finland, Norway, Canada, Iceland and Sweden, and also some other parts of the world. In Chile, Chilean rhubarb, which is only very distantly related, is sold on the street with salt or dried chili pepper." 
Rhubarb dipped in sugar is still a simple treat for British children its not something that only happened hundreds of years ago as the article suggests.  Rhubarb is still incredibly popular in the UK.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.96.14.189 (talk) 14:46, 27 July 2018 (UTC)
thread_title: untruths in the article

message: Does anyone have a photo of the (rather extraordinary) rhubarb root ball? It's something to see. --Kickstart70-T-C 17:29, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Root ball 

message: Note that Wikipedia already has an article on this that names the poits of the triangle as Leeds, Wakefield and Pontefract. This seems much more likely. Morley is a South Western suburb of Leeds and does not give much of a triangle when plotted on the map, and moreover is entirely urban. Towards the east of Leeds and Wakefield is lower and generally more of a market gardening area. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.37.0.230 (talk) 18:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Rhubarb triangle

message: I have googled this term and only found matches on English speaking pages. Not a single German page. I personally - although German - have never heard this term. Could somebody proof that this is a German word? I not only looked for "Piestengel" but also "Piestängel" according to the new German grammer... Bernburgerin 19:34, 17 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Confirmed. I'm German, too, and I've never come across this word. This must be some kind of Urban Legend in the English-speaking world. The term 'pie' is seldomly used in German, and only as an English loan word in its original pronounciation, so it's very improbable that the compound noun 'Piestengel' has ever been in widespread use in the German-speaking world. I vote to remove the reference, it's misleading. The German word for rhubarb is 'Rhabarber'. 217.85.138.201 09:08, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Piestengel

message: "Rhubarb is actually a vegetable" Vegetable is a very vague word. That statement should be omitted. Just classify it botanically and include the history of how US Customs dealt with it. Otherwise its a great article!
Lance May
"Knowledge is knowing that Rhubarb is a vegetable, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a salad."
-Charlie
Yes, it is a Vegetable. I do not know why it is called a fruit on the page! Because it's related to another vegetable and is in a vegetable family, IT SHOULD BE A VEGETABLE, NOT A FRUIT. I learned this on the cobbler episode of "Good Eats". 130.13.99.152 (talk) 04:18, 30 November 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: What is a "vegetable family"?  That sounds to me like saying an apple must be called a flower because it's in the rose family. — Smjg (talk) 09:54, 25 October 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: Vegetable?

message: I have rhubarb in my garden.  Much of it has green stalks instead of the usual red/pink.  At one time these plants produced the red.  Why is it now green and is it safe to eat?
Thanks!
Amy12.109.74.231 13:11, 23 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I have heard of green varieties of rhubarb, which are perfectly edible. It should be fine. Wwm101 03:18, 19 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Question - green rhubarb 

message: Should there be a popular culture section in this article?  The new video game Portal identifies Rhubarb repeatedly in the ingredients for cake towards the end of the game, and I'm sure there are many other references to it in movies and books.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.180.138.37 (talk) 21:01, 17 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Rhubarb in Portal Game 

message: This line in the entry bothers me: "Until the 1940s rhubarb was considered a vegetable. It became a fruit when US customs officials, baffled by the foreign food, decided it should be classified according to the way it was eaten."
This is an odd sentance. It gives the impression that rhubarb only came into the U.S. in the 1940s, and that's not the case. Every hundred year old farmhouse in Maine has a rhubarb patch. Our Maine Rebekahs Cookbook from 1939 has recipes for rhubarb, with no reference to it being new or foreign. I've found references in one of the webpages footnoted in this article to a Maine farmer growing it between 1790 and 1800. (I don't know if the url will be visible, but it's the Rhubarb Compendium page, http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-history.html#TOC11 .) The Customs Officials may have begun classifying things because of other new things that started coming in at that time, but rhubarb wasn't one of the new things coming in. 
The thing that worries me is that the Wikipedia reference has duplicated that sentence, with all it's ambiguity, and people are going to start believing that rhubarb was new to us only such a short time ago.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.207.254.76 (talk) 14:26, 21 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  History in the U.S. 

message: Although its accepted that forced Rhunard is produced in the well described Rhubarb Triangle, the Manchester suburb of Timperley is well known for its Rhubarb, (Timperley Early being the best known).   —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.161.13.57 (talk) 15:09, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Timperley 

message: How about adding in the Rhubarb Pie references around pop culture including, but not specific to, the Rhubarb Pie references in Praerie Home Companion? 69.112.29.153 (talk) 18:07, 31 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Rhubarb Trivia

message: In this article, the stalks of the Rhubarb are called "Petioles", "Stems" and "Stalks".
While the article currently talks about the stalks as "Petioles", I'm not sure why this is:
from the definition of Petioles, it sounds like we cook the stalks, not the petioles.
It would be great if this distinction could be explained clearly in the article cojoco (talk) 11:20, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Since they are the same thing - there is no distinction.  The "stalk" is the leaf petiole.  A petiole is the stalk that joins the leaf blade to the plant stem.  Since the stem of rhubard plants is under grown, the parts of the plant that people pick is the leaf, which includes the blade(the large flat green colored part) and the petiole or stalk that joins the leaf blade to the underground stem. Hardyplants (talk) 03:00, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Petiole Vs. Stalk??? 

message: Is there any information available on what kind of climate/soil type rhubarb prefers?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.67.93.133 (talk) 01:05, 7 July 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Rhubarb is a very greedy plant and you are best advised to feed it well, ideally adding manure to the ground prior to planting a crown. You will see a massive difference between rhubarb in fresh soil/compost, and stuff which has been used for a few years.82.6.1.85 (talk) 23:17, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Using an opaque cover over the plant will force it to become etoilated, and stretched as it tries to extend far enough to reach the light. Undergound, or in thick undergrowth, this is an invaluable strategy. The leaves, however are much paler, even being yellow, and doing it for too long kills it.82.6.1.85 (talk) 23:17, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Growing tips? 

message: I have found several sources stating that rhubarb likes colder climates:
:http://www.plantea.com/rhubarb.htm
:http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-growing.html
Can anyone help me figure this out?
Also, I found a possible citation for the lethal dose part:
http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-poison.html under "13.3.1 - How toxic is rhubarb?" referring to these sources:
57. GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND SYMBOLS USED IN PHARMACOLOGY, http://med-amsa.bu.edu/Pharmacology/Programmed/glossary.html
58. MSDS for OXALIC ACID,  gopher://atlas.chem.utah.edu/11/MSDS,  University of Utah, Chemistry dept 
...
60. USENET POSTING: andywlms@esslink.com (Andy Williams) posted to Newsgroup rec.food.cooking on 24 Jul 1996 18:47:47 GMT 
61. USENET POSTING: lhom@nature.berkeley.edu (Louis Hom) posted to Newsgroup rec.food.cooking on 25 Jul 1996 00:26:12 GMT
Thanks, Ajl772 (talk) 03:18, 11 August 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Edit: I didn't read the whole talk page before adding the references... Sorry if it seems like I'm beating the dead horse. Ajl772 (talk) 03:30, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

text: Edit#2: I'm also trying to find out if I need to plant rhubarb away from other plants, or can it be planted next to other plants, as I would most any other plant? Thanks, Ajl772 (talk) 03:47, 11 August 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I know that rhubarb grows in pretty harsh conditions: My grandmother used to grow it in Hammerfest, Norway. It is also grown on the Faroe Islands, and I think it is the only "fruit" that grows there. They make a traditional "marmalade" of sorts of it which is intensely sweet and cooked for so long that it is caramelized.85.164.84.14 (talk) 23:15, 5 July 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  growing climates? 

message: I've added  to the text, "These substances are cathartic and laxative, which explains the sporadic use of rhubarb as a slimming agent most notably in the American Midwest. AJ Giannini, AE Slaby. The Eating Disorders, New York, Springer-Verlag,1993.". Although I don't have access to the referenced book, Google books allows a full text search, and a search for 'rhubarb' draws a blank.
Anon IP editor 66.251.199.141, under the circumstances, can you please (i) specify the page number referred to in the book, and (ii) supply the text in question here, so that it may be properly verified. If the reference cannot be verified, your edit may be reverted. Thank you.--Yumegusa (talk) 20:58, 9 October 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Reverting the above-mentioned edit. Comments on editor's talk page suggest he has has been responsible for similar spoofing on other articles.--Yumegusa (talk) 18:48, 14 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Toxic effects section (slimming) 

message: The article says, "Because rhubarb is a seasonal plant, obtaining fresh rhubarb out of season is difficult, especially in the UK."
What's with the "especially in the UK" part?  Is that really the part of the world in which obtaining rhubarb out of season is the hardest?  That seems implausible.
Ccrrccrr (talk) 12:34, 19 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  out of season 

message: I've added a nutritional infobox. Also the section Cultivation and consumption was rather long so I have broken it up into Cultivation and Uses with appropriate subsections as per WP:HEAD and WP:LAYOUT. Anyone else want to help clean up these new sections? Lantrix (talk) 11:51, 11 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sections shortened 

message: Rhubarb was grown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 1740s, long before the history presented in this article. Peter Collinson of London sent John Bartram in Philadelpiha seed of two or more species of rhubarb under the names "Rhaponticum" and "Siberian" along with a short receipe for rhubarb tarts.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.160.218.42 (talk) 23:53, 1 October 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Rhubarb in US

message: I added back the taxonomy infobox, but made it more specific to the species that is eaten as Rhubarb. That way the Rheum (genus) page is the page about the Genus, and Rhubarb page is specific to the commonly eaten species. I also note that Rheum x hybridum and Rheum rhabarbarum are effectively the same thing. If you have a better image for the infobox, please use it - or use one of the existing Rhubarb images on wikimedia commons. Lantrix ::Talk::Contrib:: 04:33, 29 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Well then we have problems that need to be fixed, since the article is nearly all about the crop rhubarb and has very little about the species. They are not the same thing of-coarse, one has been modified while under human cultivation.  Hardyplants (talk) 04:45, 29 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Please take a look at this source for why this will not work , I will give you time to research the issue before I remove the box, which belongs on taxons not on terms that cover different species.  Hardyplants (talk) 05:08, 29 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: What you say makes sense - maybe there is an alternate infobox that can be used instead of taxobox? The article seems bare without it. Looking at other pages for crops, would you say the same with Lettuce vs Lactuca? I'll have a read of your link and respond here soon. Lantrix ::Talk::Contrib:: 01:28, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

text: I've had a read of the link you provided. In my mind it clearly shows that the common garden variety lines up with the information on the article, albeit maybe a bit too specific. You said the article is nearly all about the crop rhubarb and has very little about the species - but I dont see this as an issue. The crop is still of the garden variety species, Rheum rhabarbarum or Rheum x hybridum as mentioned in the page. I still believe it is valid to list either one or possibly the four (as per your link) Botanical names used for the garden variety. I also don't think you need to give me time to research until you remove the information, instead we should be coming to a  consensus. Lantrix ::Talk::Contrib:: 22:09, 30 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: If your going to use a taxbox for "rhubarb" then it should be for Rheum rhaponticum.  Rheum rhabarbarum and Rheum x hybridum are "garden rhubarb". Hardyplants (talk) 22:49, 30 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: On the link you supplied Rheum rhaponticum is listed under the same row as Rheum x hybridum, Rheum rhabarbarum and Rheum x cultorum, and that page classifies them all under Garden Rhubarb (among other names). If we keep the infobox why not list all four species that Rhubarb , the crop that is for human cultivation, is known as. If you have more information on this I'd be happy to digest it. I'm only somewhat new to growing Rhubarb. Can I point out again that Lettuce vs Lactuca does the same thing? Rhubarb should still have an infobox, and taxobox seems to be the best one to explain the origins. 00:15, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

text: "Lettuce vs Lactuca does the same thing?" They have taxoboxs because each is a taxon: one is a species and the other is a genus.  Rhubarb is a number of species (taxons).Hardyplants (talk) 02:06, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: You make a valid point, although the taxon page defines taxon as ... or group of populations of organisms which are usually inferred to be phylogenetically related and which have characters in common .... I still dont see a major problem with the taxobox being used in this case as the group of species referred to as rhubarb have characters in common! Either way, I'll look around for an alternate infobox to replace it with and see if it suits the article. Lantrix ::Talk::Contrib:: 05:51, 3 December 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: A taxon is the entire group of related organisms which have characters in common, if we use a taxon box, the page needs to be about one species (a taxon) or another taxon above that, which would be the genus Rhuem -includeing all the species within that genus.  "Characters" is used in a technical sense, and the inclusion of those used as food and exclusion of those not used for food ,would not be a proper use of the term. Hardyplants (talk) 23:27, 3 December 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: And this is how it was before. There was Rheum - listing all the species in that genus. However I do agree that it is best separate like it is now (Rhubarb article vs. Rheum article). I'm still looking for another infobox, albeit slowly. If you remove the taxobox in the meantime, so be it. Lantrix ::Talk::Contrib:: 05:20, 11 December 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Taxobox added back - specific 

message: It would be good to mention the use of Sweet Cicely herb used as an additive when making rhubarb pies etc as a means of reducing the amount of sugar needed.
 89.240.2.15 (talk) 23:15, 4 March 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Adding Sweet Cicely when cooking 

message: according to the UC Davis website and a PDF by Wayne L. Schrader entitled "Rhubarb Production in California", people have indeed died trying to "use rhubarb leaves as a vegetable green"....
here is a link to the site: 
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/VegetableCropProductioninCalifornia/8020.aspx
here is the link to the PDF:
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8020.pdf
.........   --173.147.103.133 (talk) 01:58, 26 April 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Comment 

message: The first sentence of the fourth paragraph starts "Rhubarb is botanically classified as a vegetable". I thought vegetable wasn't a botanical classification at all, but rather a culinary one. The page on vegetable says "the word is not scientific, and its meaning is largely based on culinary and cultural tradition." Worth changing? --99.21.163.89 (talk) 00:40, 14 May 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Botanically classified as a vegetable? 

message: If a wild plant in the US NorthEast looks like rhubarb but the stalks are tasteless like celery, what is it likely to be? -71.174.180.139 (talk) 22:04, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  tasteless rhubarb 

message: The article mentions history of cultivation, but is overly vague about the location of the origins of these species. -71.174.180.139 (talk) 22:08, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  origin locations? 

message: The article is missing key basic info about rhubarb.
Raw rhubarb stalks have a very strong tart taste.  Most people in the US do not eat raw stalks because the taste is too strong and unpleasant, and because of a general belief that it is hazardous.  But some people do like this strong tart taste!  Related to unsweetened cranberry juice.  What percentage of the population likes this taste?  Are there countries/cultures where it is more popular?  Is there any danger eating raw stalks?  How much of what kind of danger? -71.174.180.139 (talk) 22:17, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  raw rhubarb 

message: Because celery is more common than rhubarb, and the stalks are so similar in texture stringiness etc it seems appropriate to mention this similarity in the article.  But apparently the plants are very unrelated taxonomically -- maybe that should be mentioned too?  It is interesting that the stalks of both plants seem to flare/flatten and join at the bottom in a similar way, but rhubarb stalks grow out individually in all directions; celery stalks in the market grow in bunches.  These habits should be mentioned in each article. -71.174.180.139 (talk) 13:30, 5 June 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  unrelated to celery 

message: "raw stalks may not be hazardous, though they are generally thought to be in the US"
I thought this language was supposed to be unacceptable without a citation.  My understanding is that they are "generally thought" to be safe for consumption, particularly in pies, cobblers, and preserves.  Is there a source for this?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.170.119.174 (talk) 02:43, 7 June 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: This language is absurd and needs to be removed. Raw rhubarb stalks are absolutely perfectly edible and in New England are considered a refreshing summer delicacy.  I can't count the number of times as a small child (also in Maine) I would gorge on raw rhubarb stalks, which i found delicious dipped in brown sugar or maple syrup. It was like eating sour patch kids with the crisp texture of celery! 67.142.172.29 (talk) 02:28, 18 July 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Raw stalks are thought to be hazardous *by whom*? 

message: Under the Historical Cultivation section it says that 'The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic' was compiled around 2700 BC and quotes a 1920's book as a source for this claim. The problem with that assertion is that writing in China is generally accepted as having been invented around the Shang dynasty period, about 1400 BC at the very earliest, in the form of the Oracle bone script. So, how could any medicinal book or scrolls have been written back in 2700 BC China?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.179.31.119 (talk) 17:30, 22 May 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Historical cultivation 

message: This section doesn't belong here; it should be in Wikicookbooks. Madgenberyl (talk) 14:51, 27 May 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Cooking

message: I'd like to thank the editors for having a human history for rhubarb. Many articles are missing this important section. Student7 (talk) 14:59, 14 May 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: History

message: In a Batman movie, didn't the Joker quote something about Rhubarb?  Like don't rub another man's Rhubarb.  172.251.199.47 (talk) 05:43, 30 January 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Movie references 

message: I agree there are issues with the current Etymology section, not least the source, but two different elements need to be explained:
*rha being the name of the plant
*barb coming from barbarum
Peter coxhead (talk) 10:40, 3 June 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Etymology 

message: Rhubarb 188.135.29.12 (talk) 16:04, 12 August 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Rubarb 

message: We're missing the fascinating history of rhubarb. See for example
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3103436/history-rhubarb-medicinal-uses-recipes-and-why-owning-it
So, I'm not gonna write this addition because I find wiki quite negatively reactive to new stuff compared to the early days. Whoever feels they own this page, please consider adding this fascinating history. Maybe rhubarb is a safe space compared to the previous pages I have suggested edits, and let me know, I'll do it, but hell, other topics are a nightmare Kungfukev (talk) 20:12, 8 December 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  I feel like there is a huge section missing about the  fascinating history of rhubarb