In his book, The United States of Arugula, author David Kamp filters a discussion of the rise of the American gourmet culture in the 1980s through the ingredient arugula, which has long been considered a culinary darling with a fancy pedigree.
Arugula, which is native to the Mediterranean, might have only gained its footing in the United States in the 1980s, but it has been popular throughout Southern Europe since biblical times. There’s even a mention of it in the Old Testament Book of Kings, which was written in the 6th century BC.
In his comprehensive tome that was published in 77, AD, Historia Naturalis, Pliny the Elder documents arugula’s use as an aphrodisiac and an anesthetizing element during surgery. Time and time again, this humble ingredient that has long found its way into the recipes of Italian immigrants in America has emerged in literature and cookery books as an ingredient that has stood the test of time.
It’s little wonder that arugula has received so much attention throughout its long and storied history. Our Petite Sylvetta Arugula is mellower in flavor than some of its counterparts, with a nutty flavor note at the beginning that ends on a sweet, peppery finish. It’s arugula’s unique shape, bold color, and nuanced flavor profile that have earned it so many accolades.
The author of the culinary classic On Food & Cooking, Harold McGee, describes arugula as having a “pungent, almost meaty” flavor derived from various aldehydes, including almond-essence benzaldehyde.” It’s this component that gives arugula its toasty, nutty flavor with its slightly bitter undercurrent.
Our Sylvetta Arugula was introduced to us by the legendary French chef Alain Ducasse, who has long served it in his restaurants as a go-to element when a bold statement is required. Sylvetta Arugula, with its deeply lobed leaves and vibrant green hue, not only packs a punch as a flavor component but is a nutritional powerhouse too.
High in vitamins C, K, and potassium, arugula is considered one of the most nutritionally dense vegetables on the planet. This superfood, which is a member of the cruciferous family that also contains broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and bok choy, is low in calories at only four calories per cup and contains strong antioxidants that lower the risk of some chronic diseases and serve to decrease inflammation.
We love our Petite Syvetta Arugula, also referred to as wild rocket in England, for its long, fascinating history, its ability to morph over the centuries from Old Testament ingredient to beloved salad green throughout Italy since Roman times, to an element that represented haute cuisine in the 1980s throughout America.
We also hold it in high esteem for its nutritional benefits, vivid color, and unusual, elegant shape, but what we love it the most for is its nutty, peppery flavor. It adds so much texture and depth to a dish without the intensity of other varieties and is a salad green we turn to time and time again for our home recipes at the farm.
The chefs we work with admire our Petite Sylvetta Arugula for the same reasons, and because of this, it has gone from a symbol of gastronomic elitism to an everyday darling, beloved by our industry’s most honored and celebrated chefs looking to add an element of sophistication and assertive flavor to their recipes.