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Rapini (broccoli rabe or raab) (Template:IPAc-en) is a green cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associated with Mediterranean cuisine. It is a particularly rich dietary source of vitamin K.
ClassificationEdit
Native to Europe, the plant is a member of the tribe Brassiceae of the Brassicaceae (mustard family).<ref name="ncsu">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rapini is classified scientifically as Brassica rapa var. ruvo,<ref name=ncsu/> or Brassica rapa subsp. sylvestris var. esculenta.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is also known as broccoletti, broccoli raab, broccoli rabe, spring raab, and ruvo kale.<ref name=ncsu/> Turnip and bok choy are different varieties (or subspecies) of this species.
DescriptionEdit
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.<ref name="UCANR">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Culinary useEdit
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The flavor of rapini has been described as nutty, bitter, and pungent,<ref name="UCANR"/> as well as almond-flavored.<ref name="Bastianich">Lidia Matticchio Bastianich & Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Lidia's Italy in America (Knopf, 2011), p. 127.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Rapini is widely used in the cuisine of Rome as well as Southern Italy,<ref name="Bastianich"/> particularly in the regions of Sicily,<ref name="Schiavelli">Vincent Schiavelli, Papa Andrea's Sicilian Table: Recipes and Remembrances of My Grandfather (Citadel Press, rev. ed., 2001), p. 40.</ref> Calabria,<ref name="Costantino">Rosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher, My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South (W.W. Norton, 2010), p. 217.</ref> Campania,<ref name="Hazan"/> Apulia,<ref name="Hazan">Marcella Hazan & Victor Hazan, Ingredienti: Marcella's Guide to the Market (Scribner, 2016), p. 89.</ref><ref name="Rago">Rossella Rago, Recipe: Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa, Explore Parts Unknown (November 22, 2017).</ref> In Apulia, their names are either cime di rapa or broccoletti;<ref name="Hazan"/> in Naples, the green's name is friarielli.<ref>Marlena Spieler, A Taste of Naples: Neapolitan Culture, Cuisine, and Cooking (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), p. 67.</ref> Within Portuguese cuisine, grelos de nabo are similar in taste and texture to broccoli rabe.<ref>David Leite, The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast (Clarkson Potter, 2009).</ref> 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.<ref>Ashifa Kassam, Google Translate error sees Spanish town advertise clitoris festival, The Guardian (November 3, 2015).</ref>
Rapini may be sautéed<ref name="Hazan"/><ref>Domenica Marchetti, The Glorious Vegetables of Italy (Chronicle Books, 2013), p. 17.</ref> or braised with olive oil and garlic,<ref name="Bastianich"/> and sometimes chili pepper and anchovy.<ref name="Hazan"/><ref name="Rago"/> It may be used as an ingredient in soup,<ref name="Bastianich"/> served with orecchiette,<ref name="Bastianich"/><ref name="Rago"/> other pasta,<ref name="Schiavelli"/> or pan-fried sausage.<ref name="Costantino"/> Rapini is sometimes (but not always) blanched before being cooked further.<ref name="Hazan"/>
In the United States, rapini is popular in Italian American cuisine; the D'Arrigo Brothers popularized the ingredient in the United States and gave it the name broccoli rabe.<ref name="Bastianich"/> 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.<ref>Vegetables Illustrated: An Inspiring Guide with 700+ Kitchen-Tested Recipes (America's Test Kitchen, 2019), p. 56.</ref> Rapini can also be a component of pasta dishes, especially when accompanied by Italian sausage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
NutritionEdit
Raw rapini is 93% water, 3% each of protein and carbohydrates, and contains negligble fat (table). In a reference amount of Template:Cvt, raw rapini supplies 22 calories of food energy, and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin K (187% DV), vitamin C (22% DV), and folate (21% DV) (table). Vitamin A, vitamin E, and several B vitamins, along with the dietary minerals, iron and manganese, are in moderate amounts (10-19% DV) (table).
See alsoEdit
- Brassica juncea - Mustard greens
- Broccolini
- Chinese cabbage
- Collard (plant) - Collard greens
- Gai lan
- Rutabaga
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
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