Recently it was brought to my attention that rhubarb may possibly be the rockstar ingredient for 2008. When I first read that post declaring rhubarb to be this year's trendy food, I was skeptical. I doubted there could be that many rhubarb recipes popping up all at once, maybe because I've never been that much of a rhubarb fan. Then rhubarb started smacking me in the face everywhere I looked. Yes, I am fully awake now and have realized there is a bona-fide rhubarb trend going on.

Certainly rhubarb is an interesting enough plant. It's a perennial which has large inedible green leaves which grow on thick red or green stalks. In the kitchen rhubarb is usually treated as a fruit, but it's actually a vegetable. You can find out anything you want to know about it from the rhubarb website, and once you've decided you're a rhubarb fan, rhubarb is also fairly easy to grow yourself. Now, here are just a few of the recent rhubarb spottings that have convinced me about rhubarbs current state of hipness.

First, the drool-worthy photo is Coconut Creams with Poached Rhubarb from Pille at Nami Nami.

After declaring rhubarb the rockstar ingredient, Garrett may have proven it with his Rhubarb Rosemary Jelly.

Lelo in Nopo tries rhubarb for the very first time and gives a big thumbs up to the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler from BlogHer Food Editor Alanna's Kitchen Parade.

If you think you're indifferent to rhubarb, you may change your mind when you see the Rhubarb Filled Yogurt Cupcakes from A Whisk and a Spoon.

Rhubarb-Apricot Chutney with Allspice sounds intriguing at The Perfect Pantry.

A Chicken in Every Granny Cart writes about Rhubarb Bread, with a warning about how much restraint it took not to eat the whole thing.

AnneMarie at Divine Ambrosia was slow to embrace rhubarb, but Rhubarb Crumble Cake (and her husbands rhubarb memories) made her into a believer. Now that it's Spring, she's making Rhubarb Ice Cream.

I think there's a very enticing combination of fruits in the Strawberry-Rhubarb-Kumquat Galette from Wild Yeast.

At Tartelette Helen has gorgeous photos of her Cardamom Tapioca Pudding with Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberry Syrup. Then a few days later she shows she's a confirmed rhubarb-a-holic with her Lemon Rhubarb Marscapone Mousse Cake.

Anita at Dessert First posts a recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Tart, one of the most classic combinations featuring rhubarb, and also making it is another rhubarb loving food blogger. They're both cooking the same thing on the same day to celebrate the birthday they share.

Finally, a completely new twist on rhubarb is the Molded Rhubarb Rosemary Cucumber Salad from Elise at Simply Recipes.

Previously on BlogHer:
I also found a huge number of food bloggers engaging in rhubarb worship last year.

BlogHer Food Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she still has not cooked anything with rhubarb.