Copius
Forced rhubarb, drawn for Copius

Forced rhubarb

Rhubarbe forcée

Latin nameRheum rhabarbarum
FamilyFruits
OriginThe Rhubarb Triangle, Yorkshire
Season (France)January – March
FlavourSour · Tangy · Fresh
Typical price (France)8–15 €/kg

What it is

In the sheds of the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle the roots are lifted after a winter outdoors and brought into total darkness, where they grow on stored sugar alone and are cut by candlelight. The stalks move fast enough that you can hear the buds pop.

In the kitchen

It needs no added water and almost no time — 10 minutes covered at 160 °C with sugar, or slid into a syrup taken off the boil. A rolling boil turns it to threads in pink water.

Goes with

White sugar Ginger Orange Vanilla Cream Strawberry Honey

Same species

Rhubarb

In season alongside

Dongchimi Kiwi Apple Baek-kimchi Goat cheese Kkakdugi

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