Rhubarb: Is it a Fruit or a Vegetable? | Riviera Produce (2024)

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Rhubarb: Is it a Fruit or a Vegetable? | Riviera Produce? ›

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable.

Rhubarb is a vegetable often thought to be a fruit. There's actually a good reason for this confusion: in 1947 the USDA classified it as a fruit because the tariffs on bringing fruits into the country were lower on fruits than vegetables. In actuality though, rhubarb is a vegetable - a member of the buckwheat family.

Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable, however, in use it is considered a fruit. Only the leafstalk of rhubarb is suitable for human consumption.

This herbaceous perennial grows 2 to 4 feet tall with large, smooth, heart-shaped basal leaves. The plant grows from large, fleshy reddish-brown rhizomes with yellow interiors.

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but is legally considered a fruit. In 1947 a New York court declared rhubarb a fruit because it's most often cooked as one in the United States (and, it's said, because it was a way to save businesses who imported these stalks from spending additional money on taxes).

Studies show that rhubarb helps lower your bad cholesterol levels as well as your total cholesterol. Lower cholesterol levels reduce your risk for heart disease and heart attack. The vitamin K in rhubarb may also aid in preventing the calcification of blood vessels.

(Note: Be sure to remove all the leaves, as they are poisonous.) Many suggest dipping the stalk in sugar or some other sweet, such as honey, maple syrup or agave nectar, to mellow its tartness a touch. Sprinkling diced rhubarb over yogurt or cereal is an option too.

If you already have kidney disease, avoid rhubarb. Kidney stones: Rhubarb contains a chemical that the body can convert into kidney stones. If you have ever had kidney stones, don't take rhubarb. Liver problems: Rhubarb can make liver function worse in people who already have liver problems.

Its stalks are deeper red and tinged with green, while its leaves are bright green. It has a more intense flavour and robust texture than the forced variety. Although it can be eaten raw, rhubarb tends to be too tart this way, and it's usually best when cooked with plenty of sugar.

By about 1800's it had made its way to America where it began to become a popular vegetable in northern gardens. Most rhubarb production now is centered in the states of Washington, Oregon and Michigan, although it is a popular home garden vegetable across the northern tiers of states.

Is rhubarb good for arthritis? ›

Our present study reveals that rhubarb highlights promising neuroprotective effect. Thus, the formulation may be a potential preventive or therapeutic candidate for the treatment of chronic inflammation and arthritis.

Rhubarb is great for diabetics Rhubarb contains various compounds called anthraquinones. Two of these compounds have been found to improve the transport of glucose into our cells, so it's not hanging out in the bloodstream but is instead being used as fuel.

Dogs cannot eat rhubarb. While they have health benefits for humans as a source of potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium, rhubarb is a toxic plant for dogs to ingest. Learn about the health risks of different parts of the rhubarb plant.

Rha comes from the Indo-European protolanguage *sreu, which means river or to flow. Rha barbarum was transformed to rhubarb in English and to Rhabarber in German. Medicinal rhubarbs are R. palmatum (the shape of its leaves are palm shaped), R.

rhubarb in American English

(ˈruˌbɑrb ) noun. 1. any of a genus (Rheum) of perennial, large-leaved plants of the buckwheat family; esp., the domestic pieplant (R. rhaponticum), having large, cordate leaf blades borne on long, thick stalks: the stalks are cooked into a sauce or baked in pies, but the blades are ...

Western rhubarb varieties originated in China

Rhubarb's medicinal uses began at least 5000 years ago, to when Chinese used dried roots as a laxative.

Rhubarb is a type of laxative called a stimulant laxative. Stimulant laxatives can cause diarrhea and decrease potassium levels. Some medications for inflammation, called corticosteroids, can also decrease potassium levels. Taking these products together might cause potassium levels to drop too low.

Fruit or vegetable? Avocado is a fruit. More specifically, botanists define it as a large berry with a single seed.

What is rhubarb? Despite its similar appearance to celery, rhubarb is no relation. These pink thick stalks are classed as a fruit, and actually part of the leafy sorrel, knotweed and buckwheat gang.