While sitting in a dermatologist's waiting and waiting and waiting room (He wants to replace my skin because I've gotten my original all wrinkled), I saw a recipe for something called a broccoli rabe. While I'm quite familiar with broccoli, I don't know what part of one is a rabe. Looking it up only gives me some Urban Dictionary crap. Can one you help?

Apparently broccoli rabe is a vegetable also known as rapini. Never heard of it myself.

So interesting, Geoff. I hadn't heard of it either. Here is a link about it. Apparently it isn't actually related to broccoli, instead it is closely related to the turnip.

Thanks! Why couldn't I find that site!

Wow youse guys are so out of it. Broccoli rabe has been in our NYC-area stores for a decade.

I kind of like it, but it always seems to be prepared super-al-dente w/oceans of garlic...

Ah, Bethree, you ARE still with us! I feared that your recent illness might have rendered you too ill to check in here! As for me, you must remember that I reside in a place where they grow corn for hog food (the four-legged variety) or high-fructose porn syrup (for the two-legged hogs). They think cruciferous vegetables are ones Jeezus was nailed to. One must travel many miles to find a grocery store where they have fruits and vegetables that haven't been dipped in toxins from Monsanto or Dow or Bayer. Say, "bok-choy" around here and they think you're cussing in "Mexacun." So maybe you might cut me some slack?

I am not a foodie, but my daughter and her husband is. I am sure she has heard of it.

I love rapini, its very bitter.

I am pretty sure I've never had it. What do you eat it with, goofy?

I like bitter beers, so maybe I'd like it.

I put it in stir frys.

“Rapini” is an Italian plural noun, derived from Latin rāpa or rāpum “turnip”. “Rabe” is not in the OED, but it’s probably related, as are similar words like German Rübe and Russian репа repa. Like a lot of words for plants, we don’t know exactly how they are related.

I've heard of rape seed, but not rapini.

On reviewing its meanings in OED, it also mentions stuprare Any relation to the Yiddish shtup?

I have heard of it on the Food Network. It is pronounced broccoli rob.

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff:
On reviewing its meanings in OED, it also mentions stuprare Any relation to the Yiddish shtup?

I'll guess no, but I can't find any info.

Hee, hee-- checking back in since thread started months ago, wondering if this food has mainstreamed yet? At this point it is so prevalent I can get it (as the veggie alt to green beans almondine) in the ready-to-warm-up-&-eat section of the a-bit-pricey-but- OK-for-busy-2-career family grocery nearby...

Haven't been able to find the etymology of rabe, rapini. Wiki says the plant is a member of the Brassicaceae (mustard family), classified Brassica rapa, subspecies Rapa; turnips are in the same subspecies; flavor reminiscent of mustard greens. Another source says it's in the large family of cruciferous greens (as is broccoli), but much closer genetically to mustard and turnip greens. Widely used in Southern Italian, Roman, and norther Potuguese cuisines.

quote:

Originally posted by bethree5:
Haven't been able to find the etymology of rabe, rapini.

As I wrote it is from Latin rāpa or rāpum “turnip”.

Oh yeh, thanks goofy!

No relation to the quasi-famous Tom Turnipseed.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Turnipseed

That begs the question as to whether the word "turnip" is related to the word "rape." I looked at etymology.com, and "rape" comes from the Latin "rapere" meaning "seize."

The word rape “violate” is unrelated to the word rape referring to the plant. The latter is from Latin for “turnip”. The former is from Latin for “seize”. They are unrelated.

The word “turnip” is unrelated to both of them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,

Yep. I thought I had made that clear since "rapere" is different from "rāpa" or "rāpum."
Sorry about that.

You dont have to be sorry. I was just interested in maximal disambiguation.

It is interesting how many words there are like that where you'd think they were related in etymology, but they aren't.

My favourite is “impregnable” and “impregnate”.

Damm. & here I thought the 'rabe' in 'broccoli rabe' must refer to some sort of primitive wilding [as in rape!] - which lent an exotic flavor to my choice of what is simply a relative of lowly turnip greens.

Back to broccoli for me.