Rhubarb Grows So Fast That You Can Actually Hear It

In the cold, fertile soils of northern England grows a fabled crop, prized for its delicate flavor — and also known for the sounds it makes as it grows. Yorkshire forced rhubarb begins life outdoors where it grows in full sun for at least two years until it is transplanted into enclosed sheds and continues growing at an accelerated pace, in complete darkness. The growth spurt that follows happens so quickly, that the rhubarb produces sounds that are loud enough to be heard with our own ears.

The area around Yorkshire County — between Wakefield, Bradford, and Leeds — has come to be called the Rhubarb Triangle. Since 1877 when the first forcing sheds were built there, generational farms have employed labor-intensive techniques for growing the world's finest rhubarb. At its peak, there were 200 farms in the region — although today less than a dozen remain. In 2010, Yorkshire forced rhubarb was granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. That means only rhubarb grown in the traditional ways within the Rhubarb Triangle zone may be identified as such, in the same way that Gruyère cheese must come from that region of France, and true balsamic vinegar must be from the grapes of Modena, Italy.

Besides the extraordinary fact that you can actually hear it grow, the main difference between forced and outdoor rhubarb is its superior taste and appearance. Forced rhubarb is sweeter, and its time in the dark results in deep red stalks and the tenderest white flesh.

Before rhubarb is harvested by hand from the fields, its time in the sun is spent photosynthesizing and making glucose. When ready, the plants are transported into dark sheds where they continue growing and utilizing stored glucose as fuel. The dark, heated environment compels the plants to reach for the sky. This happens so quickly that stalks can grow an inch or more in a day. This sped-up maturation results in cells dividing so fast that you can actually hear buds and stalks popping. Light cannot touch the plants at this stage, as it would re-trigger photosynthesis, resulting in a more bitter rhubarb.

The sound of forced rhubarb is described as popping or creaking. This happens because the darkness entices the plants to mature at such a rapid speed that it causes their movements to create sounds as they stretch upward, stalks brushing against each other as stems groan toward an obscured sun. Leaf buds unfold so forcefully that the cave-like rooms they occupy are filled with a low and gentle cacophony of growing pains.

The noises are uncannily reminiscent of human glottal stops, and tongue popping, and oddly similar to sounds made in the Xhosa language, Isixhosa. You can literally hear the rhubarb growing in a Facebook video that astutely likens the sounds to beatboxing. There's a longer recording on Soundcloud that captures a mass of rhubarb popping and bursting. The strange song of forced rhubarb tells us that the sound of darkness is anything but quiet.

Botanically, rhubarb is really a vegetable but is usually considered a fruit in the culinary world. It was also legally declared a fruit in a 1947 court ruling. Either way, forced rhubarb has attracted renewed attention over the last decade, helped by celebrity chefs singing the delicacy's praises online. In Jamie Oliver's perfectly poached rhubarb video, he shares his favorite way to cook it, and in Nigella Lawson's rhubarb crumble recipe, it is the star ingredient.

If you want to get your hands on true Yorkshire forced rhubarb, you will have to visit the Rhubarb Triangle. E. Oldroyd & Sons Ltd have been producing it there for over five generations. When in season from January to late March, they offer mail orders, and visitors can take candlelight tours to see and hear the boisterous plants in action. The annual winter rhubarb festival takes place in Wakefield where vendors sell everything from fresh stalks to artisanal specialties like chutneys, pickles, and even beer and gin made from the local harvest.

Any rhubarb recipe can be elevated by making it with forced rhubarb. Learn how to make rhubarb jam – or go savory with this tangy rhubarb bbq sauce. This gingered rhubarb crostata recipe brings a spiced-up rustic twist while this recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie takes on a classic. If you listen closely and use your imagination, you just might hear them sing.