Arugula known by many other names, is an annual plant from the family of Brassicaceae. It’s known for its tart, bitter and peppery flavor and for its many health benefits. The plant and its taste was well known throughout the antiquity and the middle ages. It’s now available pretty much all over the globe including the US where it has found many applications as an addition to spicy recipes.
The interest of arugula or rucola as it’s sometimes called become especially high in the 1970s when experimenting with foreign foods and dishes become the norm.
arugula Trivia
- Arugula is used for the manufacture of sweet alcoholic beverage called Rucolino in the Gulf of Naples. Small quantities of this liqueur are traditionally consumed after the meal.
- Name “garden rocket” refers to the fact that arugula grows extremely fast (rocket speed). Leaves are ready for the harvest 40 days after sowing of seed.
- Arugula is frequently cultivated near the basil and parsley in the gardens because it repels pest with its spicy smell and taste.