Rapini (broccoli rabe orraab) (/rɑːb/) 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).[3] Rapini is classified scientifically asBrassica rapa var.ruvo,[3] orBrassica 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 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.[7]
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,[7] 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]
In the United States, rapini is popular inItalian American kitchens; 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.[18] Rapini can also be a component of pasta dishes, especially when accompanied by Italian sausage.[19]
^"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.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.