Rhubarb plants – with their ornate and statuesque figures – have long been sought after and used as garden staples for centuries. Rhubarb cultivation in Norway is mentioned to have first begun around the 1700s, with rhubarb prized for its medicinal benefits. The root was dried and taken for preventative measures as well as used as medicine for digestive problems.
Rhubarb eventually found its way into the Norwegian kitchen in the 19th century. Its sour stalks appealing – and sugar being its greatest companion.