Scientific Names
Rucola ( or rocket ) is Eruca sativa.
Synonyms : Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa,
Brassica erusa
Latin erūca and its variant urūca
denote to a plant and a caterpillar. In such cases, usually the animal name is
primary and has been extended to the plant (so the rocket can be interpreted as
“caterpillar plant”)
Latin adjective sativa is derived from satum,
the supine of the verb sero, meaning
"to sow", indicating that the seeds of the plant were sown in
gardens.
Common Names
The English common name rocket derives from the French roquette, a diminutive of the Latin word
eruca
In the United States and Canada, it
is known as arugula.
The standard Italian word is rucola, a diminutive of the Latin word eruca.
Cultivation History
A pungent, leafy green vegetable
resembling a longer-leaved and open lettuce, Eruca sativa is rich in vitamin C and potassium. In addition to the
leaves, the flowers, young seed pods and mature seeds are all edible.
Grown as an edible herb in the
Mediterranean area since Roman times, it was known as an aphrodisiac. Nowadays rocket is enjoyed innocently in mixed salads, to which
it adds a pleasing pungency.
Rocket was traditionally collected in
the wild or grown in home gardens along with such herbs as parsley and basil.
It is now grown commercially in many places, and is available for purchase in
supermarkets and farmers' markets throughout the world. It is also naturalised
as a wild plant away from its native range in temperate regions around the
world, including northern Europe and North America. In India, the mature seeds are known as
Gargeer. This is the same name in Arabic, جرجير (gargīr), but used in Arab countries
for the fresh leaves.
Uses
In Italy, raw rocket is often added
to a pizza at the end of or just after baking.
It is also used cooked in Apulia, in
Southern Italy, to make the pasta dish cavatiéddi, as well as in "many
unpretentious recipes in which it is added, chopped, to sauces and cooked
dishes" or in a sauce (made by frying it in olive oil and garlic) used as
a condiment for cold meats and fish.
In Rome, Italy rucola is used with
special meat dish called straccietti that are thin slices of beef with raw
rocket and Parmesan cheese.
A sweet, peppery digestive alcohol
called rucolino is made from rocket on the island of Ischia in the Gulf of
Naples. This liqueur is a local specialty enjoyed in small quantities following
a meal in the same way as a limoncello or grappa.
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