Field guide · Spring

Rhubarb

Technically a vegetable, always treated like a fruit — sharp enough on its own that nobody eats it plain. Only the stalks are for eating; the leaves are mildly toxic and go straight in the compost. The best of it is still grown the old way in Yorkshire's "Rhubarb Triangle," forced in sheds so dark that pickers work by candlelight, which is why the stalks come out pale pink instead of green. Simplest thing to do with it: stew gently with a spoon of sugar and a strip of orange peel, nothing else — it turns to a soft pink compote in ten minutes.

Noted 2026-07-20