Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

In my family, rhubarb meant one thing: crisp. My mom made this. Her mom made it before her, and her mom before that. Every spring, I use my great-grandmother’s Pyrex dish and make this, and for a little while, it feels like all four of us are in the kitchen together.

Rhubarb’s roots stretch back thousands of years to the mountainous regions of northern and central Asia (China, Mongolia, and Siberia), where it was cultivated primarily for medicinal purposes. The Chinese prized it as a digestive tonic and laxative, and as trade flourished along the Silk Road, rhubarb made its way to the Mediterranean, where Greeks and Romans valued it as a remedy for stomach ailments. In Europe around the 15th century, rhubarb root had become extraordinarily rare and coveted, fetching prices that surpassed those of cinnamon, opium, and even saffron.

From medicine to the table.  It wasn’t until the 18th century, when sugar became more widely available and affordable across Europe, that cooks began cultivating the stalks (not the root) for pies, jams, and tarts. In Canada, rhubarb holds a special place in the hearts of home gardeners and bakers alike, and it is one of the first signs of spring. There’s something quietly magical about the way those sour stalks soften and sweeten with a little sugar.