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| Rhubarb |
Rhubarb belongs to the plant family Polygonaceae and is a very old plant. Contrary to popular belief, it is classed as a vegetable, not a fruit, being a close relative of garden Sorrel although in the western world it is still more usually used in desserts. Rhubarb is the plant name for the many different species (about 70) of Rheum. It originated in Asia, in particular China and Tibet, with the earliest records relating to its use dating back to 2700BC when it was mainly cultivated for medicinal purposes, in particular for its purgative qualities. Whilst it's believed that by the 1500s it was being used in Europe for its medicinal properties, one of the first records found of its culinary use in Europe dates back to 1608. However, it was not officially recorded as a culinary plant in Europe until the mid/late 1700s.
This forced rhubarb is infinitely more delicate than the outdoor garden variety. The right kind of soil, readily available coal from local pits needed to heat the forcing sheds, and good transport links all played a part in concentrating the forced rhubarb industry into a small area of West Yorkshire known as the 'Wakefield Triangle' (with Leeds and Bradford forming the other two 'corners')
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The practice of 'forcing' rhubarb, or growing it in dark conditions, didn't start until the early 19th century when a Chelsea gardener made a chance discovery by leaving a chimney pot over one of his plants. Left in the dark the rhubarb stems shot upwards in search of light, resulting in a far more succulent-tasting product. 
The roots, or crowns, of outdoor rhubarb are left in the fields for two to three years and are then lifted, by hand, from November through to Christmas and replanted into low, dark forcing sheds where they are kept warm and moist as the shoots form. The forcefulness of the shoots is such that you can hear the buds bursting, practically crying out as they strain upwards.
In a matter of a few weeks the rhubarb stalks are ready to be harvested. As with every other stage of this weird and wonderful plant, nothing is, or can be, mechanised. Nimble fingers pick the luscious pink stalks in true Victorian fashion, by candlelight, to protect the younger stems that are still growing. The telltale sign of forced rhubarb is its incredible colour, a particularly eye-pleasing vibrant pink with curled mustard-yellow leaves. The plants grow in the sheds right up to the end of March, when the outdoor variety becomes available.
In their heyday, the West Riding growers, of whom there were nearly 200, would take tons of rhubarb to be carried on the 'rhubarb express' train to cities in the south. Today there are barely 12 growers left.
