Vegetables

Rocket

ルッコラ　るっこら

At its best in Mar, Apr, May

Rocket (rucola), Japanese vegetable — Rocket is at its best in Mar, Apr, May.

When it is at its best

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

In seasonAvailable

How to cook

Rocket: Salad — Salad

Eaten raw, for its sesame-like scent and gentle bitterness.

Rocket: Scattered over pizza — Scattered over pizza

Scattered on as it comes from the oven, where the heat lifts the scent.

Rocket: Pasta — Pasta

Tossed through or scattered at the end; it suits prosciutto well.

Rocket: Ohitashi — Ohitashi

Blanched briefly and steeped in dashi, which softens the bitterness.

How to choose

Deep green leaves that feel taut and show no wilting, deeply lobed and strongly scented.

Storage

Wrap in damp paper, seal and refrigerate. Use within two or three days.

Main areas

Shizuoka
Ibaraki
Fukuoka
Nagano

Good to know

A brassica native to the Mediterranean, known in Japanese as kibana-suzushiro. Its sesame-like scent and gentle bitterness make it essential to Italian cooking. It spread in Japan from the 1990s. Older leaves turn more bitter, so younger ones eat better.

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