Tesco reveals the surprising vegetable that has seen 200% surge in demand

Supermarket customers are craving an unassuming vegetable, Tesco says – so much so that demand has doubled.

The UK supermarket giant has revealed that out-of-season forced rhubarb has seen a 200% surge in demand from customers compared to last year.

Trendy flavours come and go, but rhubarb has become a popular choice for everything from vodka and gin to hot cross buns.

Demand for the vegetable is driven by rhubarb’s use in a range of food products, drinks

Forced rhubarb is not the same as the tangy garden variety. Forced rhubarb is much sweeter and grown indoors. It has a distinct, pinkier hue than the outdoor kind.

The forced rhubarb season runs from January until March, while outdoor rhubarb grows from April until October.

Paul Curtis, Tesco’s rhubarb buyer, said: ‘Rhubarb has very much become the flavour of the moment and besides being a classic dessert in crumble form with custard, is now considered one of the most popular flavourings and scents in many food, drink and household products.

‘Who would ever have thought that one day there would be rhubarb-scented washing up liquid, candles and even loo paper.

‘Right now is the peak of the forced rhubarb season, which lasts from the end of January until late March and it’s when rhubarb is at its sweetest and most flavoursome.

‘And the current trend is creating record demand.’

Rhubarb is traditionally grown in Yorkshire and production has focused on an area of West Yorkshire called the rhubarb triangle, the outlet reports.

Its popularity has encouraged production to spill into other areas such as Norfolk where Place UK produces over 25 tonnes of forced rhubarb each year.

Place UK’s head of fresh operations Dan Yordanov said their growers have ‘planted around 30% more in the last five years’ after rising demand.

Rhubarb is no longer reserved for crumbles and baking only – it has even made its way to fragrances, scented candles and toothpaste.

One interior designer boasts a bronze rhubarb wall light for £1,850 a pop.

The vegetable first appeared in the British culinary world in the early 17th century after Sir Matthew Lister brought the edible garden variety from Italy.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.