Rapini (broccoli rabe or raab) (/rɑːb/) 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.

Rapini
SpeciesBrassica rapa
Cultivar groupRuvo group
Broccoli raab, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy92 kJ (22 kcal)
2.85 g
Sugars0.38 g
Dietary fiber2.7 g
0.49 g
3.17 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
15%
131 μg
15%
1573 μg
1121 μg
Thiamine (B1)
14%
0.162 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
10%
0.129 mg
Niacin (B3)
8%
1.221 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
6%
0.322 mg
Vitamin B6
10%
0.171 mg
Folate (B9)
21%
83 μg
Vitamin C
22%
20.2 mg
Vitamin E
11%
1.62 mg
Vitamin K
187%
224 μg
MineralsQuantity
%DV
Calcium
8%
108 mg
Iron
12%
2.14 mg
Magnesium
5%
22 mg
Manganese
17%
0.395 mg
Phosphorus
6%
73 mg
Potassium
7%
196 mg
Sodium
1%
33 mg
Zinc
7%
0.77 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water92.55 g

Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2]

Classification

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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

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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]

Culinary use

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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 as almond-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 the cuisine of Rome as well as Southern Italy,[8] particularly in the regions of Sicily,[10] Calabria,[11] Campania,[12] Apulia,[12][13] In Italian, rapini is called cime di rapa or broccoletti di rapa;[12] in Naples, the green is often called friarielli.[14] Within Portuguese cuisine, grelos de nabo are similar in taste and texture to broccoli rabe.[15] 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.[16]

Rapini may be sautéed[12][17] or braised with olive oil and garlic,[8] and sometimes chili pepper and anchovy.[12][13] It may be used as an ingredient in soup,[8] served with orecchiette,[8][13] other pasta,[10] or pan-fried sausage.[11] Rapini is sometimes (but not always) blanched before being cooked further.[12]

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.[8] 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.[18] Rapini can also be a component of pasta dishes, especially when accompanied by Italian sausage.[19]

Nutrition

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Raw rapini is 93% water, 3% each of protein and carbohydrates, and contains negligble fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), 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 also

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References

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  1. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  2. ^ 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). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  3. ^ a b c "Brassica rapa (Ruvo Group)". North Carolina State University, Cooperative Extension. 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  4. ^ Barbieri, G. (2008). "Glucosinolates profile of Brassica rapa L. subsp. Sylvestris L. Janch. var. esculenta Hort". Food Chemistry. 107 (4): 1687–1691. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.09.054. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  5. ^ Conversa, G. (2016). "Bio-physical, physiological, and nutritional aspects of ready-to-use cima di rapa (Brassica rapa L. subsp. sylvestris L. Janch. var. esculenta Hort.) as affected by conventional and organic growing systems and storage time". Scientia Horticulturae. 213 (14): 76–86. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2016.10.021. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  6. ^ "Erbaio fotografico". Università di Bologna - Dipartimento di scienze e tecnologie agro-alimentari. 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Rapini (broccoli raab)". sonomamg.ucanr.edu. UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Lidia Matticchio Bastianich & Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Lidia's Italy in America (Knopf, 2011), p. 127.
  9. ^ Elizabeth., Schneider (2001). Vegetables from amaranth to zucchini : the essential reference : 500 recipes and 275 photographs (1st ed.). New York: Morrow. ISBN 978-0688152604. OCLC 46394048.
  10. ^ a b Vincent Schiavelli, Papa Andrea's Sicilian Table: Recipes and Remembrances of My Grandfather (Citadel Press, rev. ed., 2001), p. 40.
  11. ^ a b Rosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher, My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South (W.W. Norton, 2010), p. 217.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Marcella Hazan & Victor Hazan, Ingredienti: Marcella's Guide to the Market (Scribner, 2016), p. 89.
  13. ^ a b c Rossella Rago, Recipe: Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa, Explore Parts Unknown (November 22, 2017).
  14. ^ Marlena Spieler, A Taste of Naples: Neapolitan Culture, Cuisine, and Cooking (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), p. 67.
  15. ^ David Leite, The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast (Clarkson Potter, 2009).
  16. ^ Ashifa Kassam, Google Translate error sees Spanish town advertise clitoris festival, The Guardian (November 3, 2015).
  17. ^ Domenica Marchetti, The Glorious Vegetables of Italy (Chronicle Books, 2013), p. 17.
  18. ^ Vegetables Illustrated: An Inspiring Guide with 700 Kitchen-Tested Recipes (America's Test Kitchen, 2019), p. 56.
  19. ^ "Broccoli Rabe Pasta with Italian Sausage and Fennel". Familystyle Food. 2017-10-29. Retrieved 2018-09-10.

Further reading

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