Broccoli Rabe

[Peter Farruggio]

I was once told by older family members that the bitter cruciferous
vegetable called broccoli rabe in the US has another name in Sicily,
something like "manzanetta" (?)  and that it is a relative of the mustard
family of vegetables, and not closely related to broccoli, despite the fact
that they are both cruciferous.  Maybe a botanist can clear this up.  But
the story goes on to say that uneducated Italian immigrants and their
children coined the term broccoli rabe for "bitter broccoli" here in the US
as a way to identify it for produce people, who were more familiar with
broccoli, and thus this other cruciferous green veggie is the "bitter broccoli"

I also remember "rapini" as a very different veggie, common in Northern
Italy, not the same thing at all.  I remember some old Northern Italian
(Lucca region) produce men in San Francisco misunderstanding me and giving
me something they called rapini when I asked for broccoli rabe.  Since I
didn't look closely once I realized it was the wrong stuff, I can't
remember if it was the same as the veggie called rapini in Italy.

Anybody have a clearer knowledge of this?

Pete Farruggio


At 06:52 PM 1/27/03, you wrote:

>In a message dated 1/27/03 8:10:54 PM, funex79 at SLONET.ORG writes:
>
><< Isn't broccoli rabe the same thing as broccoli rape of which there are many
>
>cites in google?
>
>  >>
>
>Yes. "Rape" means "turnips" in Italian. The proper Italian term is "Broccoli
>di rape". I believe "Broccoli rabe" is a variation based in southern
>dialects,and it probably gained currency in English because of the
>uncomfortable association with the word "rape" -- probably the same reason
>"rapeseed oil" is now called "canola oil."
>
>Steve Boatti
>
>
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