Stalk cabbage

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Stalk cabbage (Italian: Cima di rapa)

The stem cabbage ( Brassica rapa subps. Sylvestris var. Esculenta ) is a turnip- like variety of the turnip rape ( Brassica rapa ) from the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae). Stalk cabbage is also called Rappa, Cima di Rapa or Broccoli raab, depending on the area, and is used as a vegetable.

description

features

Stalk cabbage is an annual plant. It shoots in the year of sowing. The structure and color of the leaves is similar to that of rape , radish , turnip stalk or Chinese cabbage and is light green. When shooting, stem cabbage sprouts compressed yellow-flowered flower clusters and thus becomes about 80 centimeters high. The leaves are curly.

Distinction

Stalk cabbage differs from the genetically related turnip , with strong beet formation and few leaves, in that it has many fine roots, more leaves and quick shoots. Due to the rape, radish or Chinese cabbage-like leaf, stem cabbage also differs significantly from the well-known sprout broccoli with many small individual inflorescences, which later, as broccoli of today's cultivated form, has a rather leathery leaf with a thick layer of wax, similar to head cabbage or cauliflower.

Origin and history

Like turnips, stem cabbage is derived from wild turnip rape ( Brassica rapa subsp. Campestris ). Both forms were widely grown in the Puglia and Campania area and spread from there. Stalk cabbage, along with sprout broccoli, Chinese cabbage broccoli and broccoletti, also belongs to the group of broccoletto (broccoli-like).

meaning

Stalk cabbage is grown commercially in Italy , especially in the southern Italian provinces of Campania and Apulia . There is still limited cultivation in Switzerland. In the other countries it is offered more as a delicacy and for connoisseurs at weekly markets. The stem cabbage thus represents a typical niche culture in vegetable growing.

use

Cultivation and harvest

In professional cultivation, cultivation is carried out in batches throughout the year. The medium-early (medium-fast growing) varieties from Italy are used for cultivation north of the Alps. If you want to overwinter with light frosts or frost-free, late (slow-growing) varieties of the hardy Chinese broccoli ( Brassica oleracea convar. Botrytis var. Alboglabra ) are suitable for the same purpose. The winter sets are grown in pressed earth pots and cultivated in the greenhouse. For the first harvest outdoors, pre-cultivation is also carried out in press pots. In late spring to autumn, sowing is done directly on the spot in the bed at the final distance. This requires 60 to 100 grams of seed, which is sufficient for 100 square meters. There are around 2000 to 2500 plants on an area (100 m²). From spring to summer the culture needs 2.5 to 2 months and up to 3 months until the last outdoor set. Before the buds bloom, they are harvested because the cabbage taste is not that intense. Fresh stems, crisp leaves and closed flowers are a quality feature in marketing.

Diseases and pests

Stalk cabbage can be harmed by the same pests that attack other types of cabbage.

use

kitchen

It is considered a typical winter vegetable in Italy, Portugal and Galicia . The vegetables smell like cabbage, have a slightly bitter aroma and taste more gentle as long as the flower buds are still closed. However, the taste is much more intense than with many other types of cabbage and is sometimes perceived as severe. When the flowers open, the taste becomes even more broccoli-like, hotter and a little bitter. After that, the intensity of the taste increases sharply. In Germany it is only used regionally or occasionally on marketplaces, or z. B. offered at Turkish vegetable stores under the name Rappa. The flower buds are particularly edible, but also leaves and stems. It is used cooked. To do this, stem cabbage is divided into florets and stems and washed. In Apulia, rappa is cut into pieces and prepared with orecchiette . Other ingredients are chopped anchovy fillets , crushed garlic, salt and olive oil. In northern Italy, on the other hand, rappa is blanched, mixed with vinegar and oil and served as an accompaniment to “ Bollito misto ”. In international cuisine, vegetables are also blanched with cream, mixed with grated cheese and breadcrumbs and baked as a gratin.

Sprouts made from the seeds of the stem cabbage taste pleasantly hot. They are mixed with salads and raw vegetables.

storage

According to Dumont, stem cabbage can be kept for two days at room temperature and up to seven days in a plastic bag in the vegetable compartment at two to five degrees Celsius.

Individual evidence

  1. http://dipsa.unibo.it/Erbario%20fotografico/list.php?op=B
  2. Joy Larkcom: Oriental Vegetables. Frances Lincoln, London 2007, ISBN 0-7112-2612-1 , p. 35.
  3. U. Lindner: Vegetables for the wok. In: vegetables. No. 11, 1998, pp. 608-611.
  4. Barbara Wilde: Broccoli Raab. In: Organic Gardening. 55, April 2008, p. 34.

literature

  • Fritz Keller, Jürg Lüthi, Kurt Röthlisberger: 100 vegetables. LMZ, Zollikofen 1986, ISBN 3-9066-7901-2 , pp. 74-75 (origin, cultivation, use).
  • Bärbel Schermer (editor): The great Teubner kitchen practice. Cooking technology, product knowledge and variations from the top chef. Teubner, Munich 2008, ISBN 3-8338-1178-1 , p. 50 (kitchen).
  • Touring club italiano (ed.): Frutta e ortaggi in Italia. Guide enogastronomia. Touring club italiano, Milan 2005, ISBN 8-8365-3294-2 , p. 86.