Arugula

Posted by Diana van Eyk on April 12th, 2011

I thought I’d focus on some of the different types of greens that have been popular the last few years.  It’s spring time, so when I

photo: Creative Commons, Lori L. Stalteri's photostream

read that Arugula is considered an aphrodisiac, it just seemed fitting to write a post about it.

Arugula, also known as Rocket, has been grown in the Mediterranean region since Roman times, and is rich in Vitamin C and Potassium.  It has only been cultivated on a larger scale since the 1990s.  It is a leafy green of the mustard family that looks like a longer leaved, open lettuce.

Leaves, flowers and seed pods of Arugula are all edible.  It has a pungent, peppery, assertive flavour that is somewhat reminiscent of radish.  Many Italian dishes feature Arugula, I will share some of these recipes in later posts.

Arugula is a fast growing annual that does well in Spring and early Summer.

photo: Creative Commons, woodleywonderworks' photostream

It goes to seed quickly, so it makes sense to plant in succession for a steady supply, and to harvest and save the seeds for next year’s planting.  Arugula dislikes the heat of summer, and when grown then will produce smaller, more peppery tasting leaves.