Rapini (broccoli rabe orraab;/rɑːb/RAHB) is a greencruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemblebroccoli. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associated withMediterranean cuisine. It is a particularly rich dietary source ofvitamin K.
Native to Europe, the plant is a member of the tribe Brassiceae of theBrassicaceae (mustard family).[1] Rapini is classified scientifically asBrassica rapa var.ruvo,[1] orBrassica rapa subsp.sylvestris var.esculenta.[2][3][4] It is also known as broccoletti, broccoli raab, broccoli rabe, spring raab, and ruvo kale.[1]Turnip andbok choy are different varieties (or subspecies) of this species.
Rapini has many spiked leaves that surround clusters of green buds that resemble small heads ofbroccoli. Small, edible yellow flowers may be blooming among the buds.[5]
Raw rapini (broccoli raab) is 93% water, 3% each ofprotein andcarbohydrates, and contains negligiblefat (table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3+1⁄2 oz), raw rapini supplies 92 kilojoules (22 kilocalories) offood energy, and is a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value, DV) of vitamin K (187% DV),vitamin C (22% DV), andfolate (21% DV) (table).Vitamin A,vitamin E, and severalB vitamins, along with thedietary minerals,iron andmanganese, are in moderate amounts (10–19% DV) (table).
Lacón con grelos, a typical Galician dish: pork shoulder ham with rapini, along with steamed potatoes and a sausage
The flavor of rapini has been described as nutty, bitter, and pungent,[5] as well asalmond-flavored.[8] 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.[9]
Rapini is widely used in thecuisine of Rome as well asSouthern Italy,[8] particularly in theregions ofSicily,[10]Calabria,[11]Campania,[12]Apulia,[12][13] In Apulia, their names are eithercime di rapa orbroccoletti;[12] inNaples, the green's name isfriarielli.[14] In Campania, it is closely associated withbraciole and sausages, such that food writer Arthur Schwartz reports, "it is almost unthinkable to eat [those meats] without a side of [rapini]."[15] InPortuguese cuisine,grelos de nabo are similar in taste and texture to broccoli rabe.[16] Rapini is also popular in theGalicia region of northwestern Spain; a rapini festival (Feira do grelo) is held in the Galician town ofAs Pontes every February.[17]
In the United States, rapini is popular inItalian American cuisine; theD'Arrigo Brothers popularized the ingredient in the United States and gave it the namebroccoli rabe.[8] Broccoli rabe is a component of somehoagies andsubmarine sandwiches; inPhiladelphia, a popular sandwich isItalian-style roast pork with locally made sharpprovolone cheese, broccoli rabe, and peppers.[19] Rapini can also be a component of pasta dishes, especially when accompanied by Italian sausage.[20]
^"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. Retrieved2018-06-17.
^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.
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.Bibcode:2010JSFA...90..789C.doi:10.1002/jsfa.3885.PMID20355114.
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.
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