Why is arugula from the garden so spicy?

Less than a month ago, our green thumbs Marco and Filippo planted the first seedlings in our garden here in the headquarters of Sgaravatti Trend.

Yesterday we went down to the garden with scissors and bags, and we shamelessly took advantage of their work by doing our first “shopping”.

We brought home big heads of lettuce, rocket, peppermint (which we have already talked about) and lots of basil, ready to indulge in the kitchen at dinner time.

Naturally everything was delicious, as only fresh vegetables from the garden can be.

But what struck us most was the rocket salad: we often hear that the one grown at home is even too spicy, while we found it fantastic.

We asked ourselves the reason of this flavor and we discovered that, of the two most common species of rocket, the cultivated and wild, our colleagues had chosen the second one.

The cultivated has rounded leaves and a more delicate flavor, while the wild is the one with the best known shape, commonly found in supermarkets, and which has (in nature, and therefore in theory), a stronger flavor in itself.

The extreme spiciness of Sgaravatti rocket is however due to a “contraindication” that is, to the African heat of the period in which it grew.

Well, the more the soil is arid and the sun is strong, the more the rocket will acquire this very particular flavor.

Finally, there is a third factor: thr growth of the plant. At the time of the harvest, in fact, the first yellow flowers were already blooming. Those who prefer a softer taste usually pick the leaves when they are still small, since the more time passes, the more the rocket will burn on the tongue.

In conclusion, we cheer for the super spicy rocket. In addition to spicing up the salads, it is excellent in the classic pesto recipe without garlic, half replaced with basil, to season cold pasta with the addition of feta and cherry tomatoes, obviously from the garden!

And you, how do you prefer your rocket? Delicate or spicy?