Today is rhubarb-cooking-day. 

The Rhubarb Triangle, or Tusky Triangle, is 9 square miles of West Yorkshire, between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell, famous for producing early forced rhubarb. The Rhubarb Triangle was originally much bigger, covering an area between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield. West Yorkshire once produced 90% of the world's winter rhubarb and in February 2010, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb was awarded Protected Designation of Origin status by the European Commission’s Protected Food Name scheme. Apparently; 

Rhubarb was used as a medicine/healing ointment in earlier centuries. 
A native plant of China, rhubarb was grown and traded for medicinal purposes as early as the 16th century. 
The redder the stalk, the sweeter the flavour.
Rhubarb leaves are poisonous. 
The word rhubarb comes from the Latin word “rhababarum” which means “root of the barbarians.” The Romans labelled anyone who ate rhubarb “barbarians.”
The word “rhubarb” may also refer to a noisy argument.