Fruit, vegetables and pulses

Rucola della Piana del Sele (wild rocket)

Rucola della Piana del Sele PGI: narrow, crisp leaves with a peppery bite

This is wild rocket, Diplotaxis tenuifolia, grown in eight towns of the Salerno area between the mouth of the Sele and the first hills, under unheated tunnels or in open fields. Texts of the medieval Salerno medical school already mention it on this plain; today it is a PGI, never sold loose, only in sealed packs bearing the mark.

• Matt green leaves with a bluish sheen, cut into narrow toothed lobes, smooth and hairless
• Crisp to the bite, with a spicy, peppery and penetrating aroma
• So distinctly savoury that many raw dishes need no added salt

How to enjoy it. Use it raw, from starters to side dishes, with little or no salt. Keep it somewhere cool, dry and dark, away from heat, so the leaves stay crisp.

Production areas

Campania

The full story, sources and places on apulica.com →