Broccoli rabe is a cruciferous vegetable closely related to turnips than to broccoli, despite its name. The plant looks like it has long broccoli stalks, topped with large leaves that almost resemble spinach. The stalks, flowers, and leaves are all edible on this vegetable, which bears the scientific name Brassica rabe. Also known as rapini in certain parts of the world, this vegetable has been popular in China for generations, as well as in Italy, but it has only recently entered the United States.

Brassica ruvo is commonly known by other names such as Broccoletto, Broccoli raab, Rapini, Ruvo kale, Italian turnip, Nabana, Saishin, Broccoli Rabe, Cima di Rapa and Brocoletti. As broccoli was developed in Italy, it was named as Brassica oleracea variety italic by botanists. The term broccoli is derived from Italian plural of broccoli which means little sprouts in Italian language that refers to flowering top of cabbage. Sometimes the large heading varieties of broccoli were named calabrese after the region of Calabria in Italy.

Rapini is originated in the Mediterranean and China. It has been a well-known vegetable among the Chinese, Hong Kong and is used extensively in Italian cuisines. Flourished remarkable in Chinese and Mediterranean cultures, it has still become a concern. Rapini is dissimilar to normal broccoli which belongs to the cabbage family but is accompanied to turnip. It grows similar to sprouting broccoli but the leaves resemble turnip greens. The taste is delightful, slightly bitter with a hint of nutty sweetness. Leaves and sprouts are prepared similar to broccoli and used in stir-fries and salads.

Leaves are used for cooling purposes in South Europe as it is similar to turnip greens and turnip tops. It has spiked leaves which surround a chunk of green buds which feature small heads of broccoli. The small and yellow flowers are edible. Rapini provides a bitter, nutty, and pungent flavor that resembles mustard greens. It is a great source of Vitamin C, A, K, iron, calcium, and potassium. It has a similar shape to the Chinese Brassica oleracea cultivar known as kai-lan.

History

The origin of Rapini has traced back to China as well as the Mediterranean regions. It is closely associated with turnip than broccoli. In 1927, Rapini was brought to the US by Italian immigrants, the D’Arrigo brothers. One of the brothers noticed that the plant was growing in wild in California and was recognized from his homeland. In the 1930s, he started breeding the plant which has been marketed ever since that time. Broccoli was grown wild on the shores of the Mediterranean sea and was well known to ancient Romans which is traced back to the 1500s in France, England in the mid-18^th century and was cultivated commercially in the 1930s in the United States. It is still cultivated in the Italian provinces of Puliga and Campania and the US.

Health Benefits of Rapini

Rapini is a green leafy vegetable that has a high content of calcium, pantothenic acid, good for breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in foods to provide energy and rebuild muscles, tissues, and organs. Similar to Brassica family members, Rapini is well known for its cancer prevention as well as counteracting properties. It possesses glucosinolates which is effective for lung, stomach, prostate, and breast cancers. Being a great source of folate it prevents heart diseases and birth defects. Fiber, potassium, calcium, thiamin, protein, niacin, riboflavin, iron, Vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, manganese, and zinc are also found in Rapini.

1. Heart health

Vitamin C is great for maintaining heart and cardiovascular health. The study shows that an intake of regular supplements of Vitamin C lowered plasma C-reactive protein levels after two months. The level of CRP prevents the risk of heart disease than the level of cholesterol. Rapini is loaded with Vitamin K and provides 112% of the daily requirement of Vitamin K in a serving. it lowers the chances of atherosclerosis by managing dietary calcium into bone and preventing buildup in arteries. Atherosclerosis and high blood pressure are the main factors for heart diseases.

2. Prevent cancer

Research shows that a high intake of brassica vegetables is related to lowering the chances of cancer. It is concluded that an inverse association was shown between cancer risk and high consumption of brassica vegetables. It is consistent for stomach, lung, rectal, and colon cancers and less consistent for endometrial, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Several mechanisms assist Rapini to counteract cancer. Rapini has isothiocyanates which prevent mutation of DNA, eliminate cancer-causing toxins, induce apoptosis in cancer cells, prevent cancer from spreading and prevent harmless growth from turning into malignant tumors.

3. Stronger bones

Rapini possesses a high content of calcium as well as Vitamin K which are vital nutrients for health. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an active role in blood clotting. It prevents the chances of osteoporosis and maintains bone health. The deficiency of Vitamin K results in heart disease, weakened bones, tooth decay, and cancer.

4. Useful during pregnancy

Folate is a water-soluble Vitamin B that could not be stored by the human body. It prevents the risk of neural tube defects and severe abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. Insufficient folate in pregnant women causes adverse effects on the brain development of an unborn child. 100 grams of Rapini provides 83 mcg of folate which means 21 percent of daily recommended intake.

5. Assist production of collagen

Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that prevents free radical damage. Vitamin C plays a vital role in collagen production which is a protein that forms tissue and bone in the body and assists the healing process of wounds and cuts. It is involved to regulate immune reactions and the metabolism of stress hormones. Insufficient presence of Vitamin C results to fatigue, mood changes, joint and muscle aches, dental conditions, weight loss, dry skin, hair and bruising.

6. Vision health

Being a vital vitamin, Vitamin A is essential for healthy growth as well as development, cell recognition, vision, immune function, and reproduction. People who consume twice dark green leafy vegetables have experienced lower chances of cataracts. Vitamin A promotes overall skin health and counteracts acne. 100 grams of dark green leafy vegetable provides 2622 IU of Vitamin A i.e. 52 percent of daily recommended intake.

7. Lose weight

Dietary fiber is a vital part of a healthy diet. It prevents the chances of diseases, proper digestion, and promotes gut health. This vegetable is a great source of fiber. Half dietary fiber is soluble and half is insoluble which meets both types of dietary fiber. Moreover, a diet rich in fiber helps to maintain a normal weight.

8. Brain function

Manganese is a trace mineral that supports the development of bones and brain functions. It assists the healing process of injury. Manganese plays a vital role in glutamine metabolism and DNA polymerase. It protects cells from oxidative stress and also activates enzymes that have vital functions in the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and cholesterol.

Rapini with garlic parmesan and lemon

For 4 to 6 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Rapini
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tsp. of fine kosher salt
• 2 cloves of smashed garlic
• 3 to 4 ounces of Parmesan (freshly shaved)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Zest of a lemon
• ¼ cup of golden raisins

Instructions:

1. Rinse and trim tough stems of Rapini.
2. Boil the water over high heat. Then add salt and trimmed Rapini. Again boil and let it simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes or for 6 or 7 minutes if Rapini is mature.
3. Remove Rapini with the use of tongs and set it on a baking sheet lined with clean dish towel.
4. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium to high heat with smashed cloves of garlic. Cook garlic for 2 minutes and remove them. Then add Rapini and sauté for two minutes. Season it with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer Rapini to a serving platter. Top it with lemon zest, shaved Parmesan and golden raisins. Serve it warm.

Rapini dilly lime soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chopped onion
• Two large cloves of garlic
• 6 ¼ cups of water
• 4 cups of rapini (chopped)
• 6 cups of cauliflower (chopped)
• 1 tbsp of sea salt
• 3 tbsp of dry dill
• ¾ cup of squeezed lime juice (fresh)
• 1 tsp of olive, hemp or lemon-flavored fish oil
• 1½ cups of whole organic walnuts
• ½ cup of hemp seeds

Directions:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in 100 mL of water for about five minutes.
2. When the onions are translucent, add remaining water, cauliflower, rapini, dill, and sea salt. Boil it and reduce to medium heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Puree the mixture in a blender with hemp seeds, fresh lime juice, and walnuts till it becomes creamy smooth.
4. Top individual bowls with fine organic oil.

Traditional uses

• It promotes eye, bone, and cardiovascular health.
• It enhances the immune system, slows down the aging process, normalizes blood sugar levels, and prevents dementia.
• Rapini eliminates free radicals and treats yeast infections in humans.
• Broccoli raab (rapini) is one of its own kind of versatile green-leafy vegetables. Its dark-green leaves and broccoli-like small cluster-head stems are the storehouses of many phytonutrients that have proven health-promoting and disease-preventing properties.
• Rapini is one of the very low-calorie greens carrying just 22 calories per 100g of raw leaves. Nonetheless, it holds several vital minerals and vitamins like folates, and vitamin K.
• 100 grams of fresh leaves hold about 224 µg or about 186% of the daily requirement of vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone). Vitamin-K has been found to have a potential role in bone-strengthening function by promoting osteoblastic activity. It also has an established role in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by limiting neuronal damage in the human brain.
• As a member of the Brassica family greens, raab is a rich source of antioxidants like flavonoids, indoles, sulforaphane, carotenes, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Indoles, mainly Di-indolyl-methane (DIM) and sulforaphane have proven benefits against prostate, breast, colon and ovarian cancers by virtue of their cancer-cell growth inhibition, cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
• Fresh rapini has more folic acid than mustard and turnip greens. 100 grams of fresh leaves carry 83 μg of this vitamin (about 21% of RDA). Folic acid plays a vital role in DNA synthesis and cell division. When supplemented in women during their peri-conception times, it may help prevent neural tube defects in newborn babies.
• Fresh raab has good levels of vitamin C. 100 fresh leaves provide 20.2 mg (31% of RDA). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a powerful natural antioxidant that offers protection against free oxygen radicals and flu-like viral infections.
• Like kale and mustard greens, rabe too is an excellent source of vitamin-A (provide 2622 IU or 87% of RDA per 100 g).
• Vitamin A is an essential nutrient required for maintaining healthy mucosa and skin and is essential for good night vision. Consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids is found to help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Fresh broccoli rabe greens are an excellent source of several essential B-complex groups of vitamins such as pyridoxine, thiamin, riboflavin, and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, and manganese.
• Regular consumption of rapini greens in the diet is known to prevent arthritis, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia and is believed to offer protection from cardiovascular diseases, and colon and prostate cancers.

Precautions  

• Allergic people should avoid it.
• People with health problems should consult the doctor for use.

How to Eat         

• It is used in Galician, Italian, and Portuguese cuisines.
• Rapini is widely used in Southern Italian cuisines, Northern Portuguese cuisines, Roman cuisine, and Galicia.
• In Ciociaria, Frosinone, and Southern Lazio, it is sautéed with chili pepper, garlic and served with fresh baked bread and sausages.
• Rapini is sautéed with chili pepper, garlic, and guanciale in Central Italy regions and used as a side dish for grilled pork ribs, porchetta, and sausages.
• Boil Rapini in saltwater and sauté it in olive oil with chili pepper and garlic.
• Add it to stir-fries and pasta.
• Rapini is also added to salads.
• Steamed Rapini is added to soups, Italian pasta, stews.

Types of Rapini

1. Rapini ‘Quarantine

The 40-day variety is ideal for earlier seasons, or even fast catch crops. Generates extremely earlier florets. Soft, delicious, turnip-like tops as well as buds; pointed, elongated, seriously divided leaves; huge buds; fine flavor; no effectiveness against heat stress; 40-70 cm tall. Sow within spring and also autumn and crop May or mid-October. From May onwards the 90-120 day types, R. ‘Novantina’ as well as R. ‘Centoventina’, supply the best plants, along with much less possibility of bolting within the warmer late spring/summer weather.  Once autumn occurs there is an additional window of opportunity to plant the most loved of the Rapini varieties.

 

2. Rapini ‘Sessantina’

Occasionally sold underneath the synonym R. ‘Sessantina Grossa’ requires 50-80 days for maturation. Excellent bitter-sweet tastes, as well as stems, are fantastic cooked like a side dish or even cooked along with short pasta just like Orechiette. Succession plant weekly for the constant harvest. The outstanding cultivar, standard as well as energetic; plentiful, deeply serrated foliage; appealing, huge, spherical tops; one of several very first big budded types; pleasurable taste; 30-35 cm tall. Sow Apri-mid August and harvest June-mid October.

 

 

3. Rapini ‘Riccia di San Marzano’

Needs 60-80 days for maturation. Leaves curled in the tips; feature a fantastic taste; 35-45 cm tall. Sow April-mid August as well as crop June-mid October. Rapini ‘Novantina’90-day growing rapini.  Plentiful, seriously serrated foliage; medium-sized head; large leaves as well as thicker stems; enjoyable taste; 35-45 cm tall. Best planted in early autumn. Sow April-early September and also crop June-October.

4. Rapini ‘Centoventina’

4 months for maturation. A complete classic from Puglia and also extremely popular by restaurateurs.  Flavor referred to as in-between turnips as well as broccoli and protected in mustard! Deeply separated leaves; superb flavor and also structure; very big buds; 60-70 cm tall. Consume the florets, leaves and stalk, and use to really make the well-known pasta dish ‘Orecchiette e Cima di Rapa’ through the Puglia / Abruzzo region.  Plant July-October and crop November-March.

5. Rapini ‘Maceratese’

Mid-Early. A vertical plant that is very easy to grow.  Extended, somewhat serrated leaves which does not create florets – it’s utilized for its delicious leaves that are utilized in pasta as well as soups.  Plant April-August.

Other Facts        

• Rapini is propagated by seeds.
• The plant is a biennial which completes its life in two years.

References

Show More