Arugula is a biennial plant of the cabbage family that is rapidly gaining popularity in Russia. It is also sold here under the names eruka, indau and rocket salad. In Russia, the plant, which is now called arugula and is considered a whim of gourmets, grew in the middle lane as a weed and was popularly called a walker or caterpillar. However, it was wild arugula, and many compatriots still have to learn about the benefits of cultivated arugula and how to cook it.
Arugula is common in Southern and Central Europe, the European part of Russia and the North Caucasus, in Asia Minor and Central. It is most actively grown in Italy, and it was this country that gave the world the best recipes for arugula dishes. The plant has lyre-pinnate leaves and contains alkaloids and flavonoids, which give it a very specific pungent and slightly bitter taste. Some describe it as mustard-nutty. 100 grams of lettuce contains only 25 kilocalories, which is why it is so adored by everyone who is on a diet. Arugula is rich in fiber, vitamins A, B, C, E, K, as well as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, manganese. Since antiquity, it has been highly valued for its healing properties: it stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, speeds up metabolism, has a diuretic, antibacterial and lactogenic effect, and finally increases hemoglobin and strengthens the immune system. Arugula salad is recommended for people suffering from obesity, diabetes, ulcers. In cosmetology, face masks are made from its crushed leaves. The most common example is a whitening mask. Two tablespoons of arugula puree plus lemon juice and the mask is ready.
Another positive point is that arugula growing like a weed is completely unpretentious and does not require any specific care. Therefore, it can be easily grown in your garden at your dacha. What's more, the seeds can even be planted in a flower pot. Arugula is planted in open ground in March-April, immediately after the snow melts. All that is required in the future is regular watering and weeding.
In the culinary arts, arugula is used both as an independent ingredient and as a seasoning. A variety of salads are made from it, it is added to risotto, pasta and pizzas. What she “does not like” is high temperatures, so it is not recommended to stew, boil, or fry her.
