Rapini or broccoli rabe (/rɑːb/) is a green
cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble
broccoli, but do not form a large head. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associated with
Mediterranean cuisine.
Classification
Native to Europe, the plant is a member of the tribe Brassiceae of the
Brassicaceae (mustard family).[3] Rapini is classified scientifically as Brassica rapa var. ruvo,[3] or Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris var. esculenta.[4][5][6] It is also known as broccoletti, broccoli raab, broccoli rabe, spring raab, and ruvo kale.[3]Turnip and
bok choy are different varieties (or subspecies) of this species.
Description
Rapini has many spiked leaves that surround clusters of green buds that resemble small heads of
broccoli. Small, edible yellow flowers may be blooming among the buds.[7] Rapini is a source of
vitaminsA,
C, and
K, as well as
potassium,
calcium, and
iron.[8]
Culinary use
The flavor of rapini has been described as nutty, bitter, and pungent,[7] as well as
almond-flavored.[9] Rapini needs little more than a trim at the base. The entire stalk is edible when young, but the base becomes more fibrous as the season advances.[10]
In the United States, rapini is popular in
Italian American kitchens; the
D'Arrigo Brothers popularized the ingredient in the United States and gave it the name broccoli rabe.[9] Broccoli rabe is a component of some
hoagies and
submarine sandwiches; in
Philadelphia, a popular sandwich is
Italian-style roast pork with locally-made sharp
provolone cheese, broccoli rabe, and peppers.[19] Rapini can also be a component of pasta dishes, especially when accompanied by Italian sausage.[20]
^National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.).
Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US).
ISBN978-0-309-48834-1.
PMID30844154.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
^"Erbaio fotografico". Università di Bologna - Dipartimento di scienze e tecnologie agro-alimentari. 2019.
^
ab"Rapini/Broccoli Raab". sonomamg.ucanr.edu. UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
^
abcdefLidia Matticchio Bastianich & Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Lidia's Italy in America (Knopf, 2011), p. 127.
^Elizabeth., Schneider (2001). Vegetables from amaranth to zucchini : the essential reference : 500 recipes and 275 photographs (1st ed.). New York: Morrow.
ISBN978-0688152604.
OCLC46394048.
^
abVincent Schiavelli, Papa Andrea's Sicilian Table: Recipes and Remembrances of My Grandfather (Citadel Press, rev. ed., 2001), p. 40.
^
abRosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher, My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South (W.W. Norton, 2010), p. 217.
^
abcdefMarcella Hazan & Victor Hazan, Ingredienti: Marcella's Guide to the Market (Scribner, 2016), p. 89.
Suwabe K, Iketani H, Nunome T, Kage T, Hirai M (May 2002). "Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in Brassica rapa L". Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 104 (6–7): 1092–1098.
doi:
10.1007/s00122-002-0875-7.
PMID12582617.
S2CID33184043.
Cefola M, Amodio ML, Cornacchia R, Rinaldi R, Vanadia S, Colelli G (April 2010). "Effect of atmosphere composition on the quality of ready-to-use broccoli raab (Brassica rapa L.)". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 90 (5): 789–97.
doi:
10.1002/jsfa.3885.
PMID20355114.