Map of the Week: The Rhubarb Triangle
Jubilation today in Yorkshire's Rhubarb Triangle with the news that the region has been granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Commission.
Yes, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, the inconceivably-pink vegetable, traditionally grown and harvested by candlelight in "forcing sheds", has joined the ranks of champagne and Parma ham on a list of Europe's specially-protected food and drink.
Janet Oldroyd of the Yorkshire Rhubarb Growers Association said:
"Awarding PDO status to Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb is fantastic news for British food. To the 12 growers left in the rhubarb triangle, a future is now certain. To the hundreds of farmers long since gone this is, in part, recognition of their hard work, dedication and steadfast belief in their product that has kept this industry alive since the early 1950s."
The word "rhubarb" derives from the Latin expression rheum barbarum, the barbarian from the banks of the river Rha (Volga), but the large-leaved Siberian native was a welcome immigrant to the Yorkshire Dales.
Local farmers developed secret methods to produce the tender and sweet version of rhubarb that has won a global fan base. It is thought the closely-guarded techniques involve an upturned bucket.
The exact location of the Rhubarb Triangle is a matter of some debate, as explained at the website of Yorkshire gardeners Sue and Martyn:
"The location of the 'triangle' is sometimes described as the triangular area formed between the three cities of Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford, (the green triangle of the map), other sources of information give the points of the triangle as Leeds, Morley and Wakefield, (the blue triangle on the map). However, the largest area of rhubarb cultivation falls outside of both of these 'triangles. The rhubarb is more accurately the triangular area of land between Morley, Wakefield and Rothwell (the red triangle on the map)."
The village of Carlton is apparently the hub of Yorkshire growing, with suggestions recently that it change its name to Rhubarb. The capital city of the Rhubarb Triangles is Wakefield, where an annual rhubarb festival draws visitors from around the country.
West Yorkshire once produced 90% of the world's winter forced rhubarb from the forcing sheds that were common across the fields in the area. "Forcing" means encouraging the plant to shoot early by raising the local temperature - hence the bucket.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today praised the enthusiasm and commitment of the rhubarb producers of Yorkshire. "I want to see even more of the best of British produce being protected," he said.
Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb is the 41st British product to be added to the list of legally-protected names which includes Swaledale Cheese, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and Cornish Sardines.
Protected designation means that all producers must not only be in the designated area, but will be extensively audited, ensuring, it must be hoped, that quality and traditional production methods are maintained. It makes one proud to be British.
I'm 
© 2012~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~47~RS~)
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Sales of rhubarb are not going to solve our nation's economic woes, but they could point in the right direction. Being rather old fashioned in my view of economics and wealth I have always been rather wedded to the idea of value added. I can see how taking a piece of steel and turning it into a car adds value. What I have long doubted is that taking a bit of money and doing some very clever paperwork adds value even if it does produce larger numbers.
Whilst I can see that the very clever paperwork makes it easier for things to happen I am old fashioned enough to believe that making things is the way to create real vlaue. If you doubt that someone must explain to me why an economy like China which produces things is doing so much better than we are when our wealth and economic well being, we are told, depends on a group of people who are good at paperwork.
Rhubarb may just be a small example of Britain creating value in a more reliable way. Creating good quality, unique products. Now back to my crumble.
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"It makes one proud to be British."
Is that the rhubarb speaking?
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I thought 'forcing' meant keeping the rhubarb in almost total darkness so that it was forced to grow upwards in search of light. The stress caused by this process apparently makes it sweeter and gives it the link colour that you don't get by growing it in the garden. Hence the ruddy great big warehouses in the Rhubarb Triangle. Anyone proficient in the technical aspects of rhubarb growing please enlighten me. Thanks! (and just for once, no puns about Labour keeping us in the dark etc. etc. Let's keep politics out of rhubarb. (And rhubarb out of politics)).
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Now we need to get on and add Wensleydale to the list.
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Rhubarb crumble and custard please!!!!!!!!!
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It seems there are other things in the world that you can keep in the dark and feed them ***** than mushrooms.
[Warning Joke Ahead: May cause consternation to unprepared moderators]
..................................................European legislators !!
Ha!Ha!
[Was Hilary ''egg-static'' ?]
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Goodness is 1st April already?
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danensis I thought Wensleydale was already on the list. I will away and find out.
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Mr Easton. Does the rhubarb being forced have anything to do with bullying? And do you think it knows who to 'phone....?
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Maybe Gordon Brown could find a use for a long stick of rhubarb . Alistair Darling had better not turn his back if he sees Gordie coming with a stick of rhubarb in his hand.
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artichokes are grown the same way in the dark, a lot of things can be grown this way, all will be soft and tasty free from the wind and rain which toughen up the cell structures on the stems, also a lot of gardeners will over winter rhubarb for an extra crop in the green house in a bucket with a bigger bucket covering them.
Something we will have to try out but then i only have a small yard and small green house. Need a small community allotment type thing me thinks.
Anyone like to donate a container :D we need one and a project like that would certainly keep the project running over winter and provide some useful funding.
Ty Mark your a Star didn't think of that till now :)
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#10
Exactly my sentiment. I just feel so sorry for the rhubarb....
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For once, I'm quite proud that Bradford's in the news. Usually it's for bad reasons.
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Mark - forgive me but I do find your lack of comment on the key domestic story of the week - the disaster at Staffs hospital - slightly bewildering. Do you really have no comment on this, despite your paid role to comment on key domestic affairs? What do you think of the Government's refusal to hold a public enquiry? Fair? Wrong? Is rubarb really important? Is that was I'm really paying you to cover? I think your bosses need to redirect you onto the important issues. You certainly hammered the Tories over their crime statistics; no such evangelical zeal to discuss Labour's refusal to sanction a public enquiry over 1200 deaths though. Which do you think is more important - the deaths of over 1000 people, or some spinning of statistics? Be glad I'm not your boss. I'm dismayed and unimpressed.
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I am deeply disturbed to hear that, despite objections form the European Court of Rhubarb Rights, the practice of covering this beautiful plant with an upturned bucket is still being carried out by these people in Yorkshire. To restrict such a tender plant's life in this way is surely wrong in this day and age? Would someone pass the custard?
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And there was I, thinking the rhubarb triangle lay between SW1A 0AA, SW1A 2AA and SW1A 0PW. Just shows how wrong you can be.
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Being descended from and related to a number of Victorian gardners and head gardners I have always been amazed at how these versatile people used hot beds to force rhubarb and some other fruit, including melons often out of season.
They would create a large heap of rotted dung around the plant and stick a special glass and metal box over it. The heat of the dung and the warmed up air in the glass box would force the rhubarb through.
I suppose in those days before the motor car rotted dung was in constant supply.
Those above who have associated rhubarb with lazy talking should to be aware that it comes from rotten dung: an association they will appreciate even further.
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Outside of the apparant levity this article has raised, please remember the substantial support for scientific research that the wardens of this area have provided, and the obvious strides in knowledge that have been made by the scientific community who have studied this region in depth.
In 2004 it was confirmed by a Cambridge scientific team that Rhubarb Crumble did in fact make you rumble.
In 2005 the unfortunate Rhubard Tart experiments were written off due to atmospheric conditions.
Despite the disappointment of 2005, the expected effects of Custard Powder are currently being listened out for.
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May even make some people proud to be European.
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#3, LippyLippo:
"I thought 'forcing' meant keeping the rhubarb in almost total darkness so that it was forced to grow upwards in search of light. The stress caused by this process apparently makes it sweeter and gives it the link colour that you don't get by growing it in the garden. Hence the ruddy great big warehouses in the Rhubarb Triangle. Anyone proficient in the technical aspects of rhubarb growing please enlighten me. Thanks!"
I believe you're right: the important thing in forcing rhubarb is to keep it in the dark. I cover mine with an upturned black bucket, which seems to do the job nicely.
Mind you, you need to be careful, and not do it every year, as it weakens the plant.
Still, what do I know? I don't think anyone is ever going to claim that "Mitcham Forced Rhubarb" has an special status.
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very funny but the french do this sort of thing with their stuff and it is about time that british food got on the map as well i love rhubarb personally
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when you over turn the bucket don't be so shocked to find a politician's head fall out along with the sand it had been buried in for a long time... enough of crumbling politics!!... on for the weekend's crumble instead..
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As a proud Yorkshireman I am delighted to see that our Rhubarb growing skill has finally received the recognition that it deserves. I also feel that this can be used to allow Rhubarb production to lead the UK out of recession (who needs the bankers!!!!).
To help support this how can we report people from outside the 'triangle' from using the bucket method of Rhubarb cultivation? For example I do know of this technique being illegally used in Troon (Scotland) by some exiled Lancastrian bandits.
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#23 Graham: another exiled Lancastrian here in Bedforshire is using a pile of upturned large black plant pots on top of a rhubarb crown, in the absence of a bucket. Rhubarb grows very well in Bedfordshire. Haven't have much luck with the custard yet though, maybe the new greenhouse will help.
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Loving this rhubarb story. In the popularised words of Russell Brand 'Tis rhubarb!' :)
Being a big rhubarb fan, or roo-bub as my grandparents would pronounce it ,i can thoroughly recommend this recipe for a tangy Rhubarb Rose Eton Mess. A delight to palate and will no doubt taste much better with the 'sweet version' of the rhubarb!
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I have been forcing my organic rubbarb with a large flower pot and brick for years in Wales. Does this mean I am now a rebel gardener ? Can my wife still make tarts and pies or Crumble out of it, or will the Rubbarb police call on me? Does any know how to grow custard?
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" ...The exact location of the Rhubarb Triangle is a matter of some debate... as explained at the website of Yorkshire gardeners Sue and Martyn.."
er, this designated 'Rhubarb Triangle' area, does it have any similarities to the Bemuda Triangle ?
( ie: as in those unaccountable /missing EU workers from your other post?)
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The website mentioned above has changed its link to http://glallotments.co.uk/PlacestovisitRhubarbTriangle.aspx
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