Herb & Spice Companion

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HERB & SPICE COMPANION

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ARUGULA

Eruca sativa

Flavors: peppery, nutty,

increasingly bitter with age, with

mustard

Also called rocket, roquette, rucola, and Italian cress, this tangy herb has been a

staple in the Mediterranean diet since the ancient Romans, who also considered it

an aphrodisiac. Due to its strong, peppery flavor, arugula was mostly ignored in the

United States until the 1990s; but it’s

now a certifiable “It” food, used as an

herb, a salad green, and a vegetable in

its own right.

Arugula’s robust flavor adds oomph

to mixed green salads, spicing up mild

greens like romaine, spinach, and but-

ter lettuce. When cooked, arugula loses

some of its pungent flavor and tastes

more like a mild green. Add only at the

end of cooking for optimal flavor.

In the Garden

Arugula is an annual that likes the cool weather of late spring and early fall. Leaves

harvested at the height of summer will have a spicier bite, as the flavor gets stronger

when the plants start to flower.

Size: 6 to 12 inches tall

Container: 6 inches

Light: Partial shade

Soil: Rich, fertile, well drained

Plant: Seeds or young plants

HEALTH BENEFITS

Arugula is an ultra-nutritious

cruciferous vegetable—a relative

of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower,

horseradish, and mustard greens.

Packed with vitamins A, C, E, and K,

as well as minerals like calcium, iron,

and potassium, it’s also thought to

play a role in cancer prevention.

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