Rapini or broccoli rabe () is a green

cruciferous vegetable Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels spr ...

, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble

broccoli Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is cla ...

, but do not form a large head. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associated with

Mediterranean cuisine Mediterranean cuisine is the food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean Basin. The idea of a Mediterranean cuisine originates with the cookery writer Elizabeth David's book, '' A Book of Mediterranean Food'' (1950 ...

Classification

Native to Europe, the plant is a member of the tribe Brassiceae of the Brassicaceae (mustard family). Rapini is classified scientifically as ''Brassica rapa'' var. ''ruvo''. It is also known as broccoletti, broccoli raab, broccoli rabe, spring raab, and ruvo kale.

Turnip The turnip or white turnip ('' Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. The word ''turnip'' is a compound of ''turn'' as in turned/rounded on a lathe and ...

and

bok choy Bok choy (American English, Canadian English, and Australian English), pak choi (British English) or pok choi (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''chinensis'') is a type of Chinese cabbage, used as food. ''Chinensis'' varieties do not form heads and have ...

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

. Small, edible yellow flowers may be blooming among the buds. Rapini is a source of

vitamins A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrien ...

A, C, and K, as well as

potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosph ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

, and

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

Culinary use

The flavor of rapini has been described as nutty, bitter, and pungent, as well as almond-flavored.Lidia Matticchio Bastianich & Tanya Bastianich Manuali, ''Lidia's Italy in America'' (Knopf, 2011), p. 127. 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. Rapini is widely used in the cuisine of Rome as well Southern Italy, particularly in the

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

,Vincent Schiavelli, ''Papa Andrea's Sicilian Table: Recipes and Remembrances of My Grandfather'' (Citadel Press, rev. ed., 2001), p. 40. Calabria,Rosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher, ''My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South'' (W.W. Norton, 2010), p. 217.

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

, Apulia,Marcella Hazan & Victor Hazan, ''Ingredienti: Marcella's Guide to the Market'' (Scribner, 2016), p. 89.Rossella Rago
Recipe: Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa
''Explore Parts Unknown'' (November 22, 2017). In

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, rapini is called ''cime di rapa'' or ''broccoletti di rapa''; in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, the green is often called ''friarielli''. Within

Portuguese cuisine The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others. ''Culinária Portuguesa'', by António-Maria De O ...

, ''grelos de nabo'' are similar in taste and texture to broccoli rabe. Rapini is also popular in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain; a rapini festival (''Feira do grelo'') is held in the Galician town of As Pontes every February. Rapini may be sautéed or braised with olive oil and garlic, and sometimes

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

and

anchovy An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

. It may be used as an ingredient in soup, served with

orecchiette Orecchiette (; singular ; ) are a pasta typical of Apulia, a region of Southern Italy. Their name comes from their shape, which resembles a small ear. Description An orecchietta has the shape of a small dome, with its center thinner than its e ...

, other

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ar ...

, or pan-fried

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

. Rapini is sometimes (but not always) blanched before being cooked further. In the United States, rapini is popular in

Italian-American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...

kitchens; the D'Arrigo Brothers popularized the ingredient in the United States and gave it the name ''broccoli rabe''. Broccoli rabe is a component of some

hoagie A submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, hoagie ( Philadelphia metropolitan area and Western Pennsylvania English), hero ( New York City English), Italian ( Maine English), grinder (New England English), wedge (Westchester, NY), or a spuc ...

s and

submarine sandwiches A submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, hoagie (Mid-Atlantic American English, Philadelphia metropolitan area and Western Pennsylvania English), hero (New York City English), Italian (Maine accent, Maine English), grinder (New England Eng ...

; in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, a popular sandwich is Italian-style roast pork with locally-made sharp

provolone Provolone (, ) is an Italian cheese. It is an aged ''pasta filata'' (stretched-curd) cheese originating in Campania near Vesuvius, where it is still produced in pear, sausage, or cone shapes long. Provolone-type cheeses are also produced in othe ...

cheese, broccoli rabe, and peppers. It can be a component of pasta dishes, especially when accompanied by Italian sausage.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q702282 Brassica Leaf vegetables Italian cuisine

Classification

Description

Culinary use

See also

References

Further reading

External links