Rabi (Broccoli Rabe)

Rabi, a green with many variations and known by many names, is loved by Italians. It is usually the first taste of the garden in the spring. With seeds sown in the fall, it is ready for spring harvest before most other vegetables are planted. This variety has hearty greens and thick white roots that can be eaten as turnips with the tops. 

Grown by Erminia Ianni in Warwick, RI. Erminia was born in Frosinone in the province of Lazio. She immigrated to the US in 1950. This seed was given to her by her Calabrian husband’s uncle who obtained it from a friend in Italy, although she’s not certain from which region. 

This seed is part of the Italian Garden Project’s Italian American Collection.

This collection represents seeds from the most cherished vegetables of Italian immigrants, those flavors that just couldn't be left behind. Only the best of the best would have been deemed worthy of the passage from the Old World to the New. These are seeds which have been passed down through families for generations, saved from the most vigorous specimens hand-selected each season. When they arrived in America, they were lovingly propagated in backyard gardens and traded as valuable commodities within Italian communities.

Heirloom seeds such as these which have been nurtured over hundreds of years and traveled across continents are at risk of being lost and their histories forgotten. In order to safeguard these treasures, The Italian Garden Project has been seeking out these heirlooms from across the US and serving as their caretaker. And now our partnership with Truelove Seeds and their growers ensures that these unique varieties will continue to flourish and provide the authentic flavors of the past well into the future.

Days to maturity: overwinter for sweetest earliest spring results or 60 days to maturity

Seeds per pack: 200

Germination rate: 92% on 10/02/2024

Planting / harvesting notes

Seed every 1" in rows 8-12" apart, 1/4-1/2" deep. Keep watered until germination. Thin to every 6". You can sow them in the fall for early spring harvests!

Seed keeping notes

Isolate by 1/2 mile from other flowering members of B. rapa, including turnips, napa cabbage, and bok choy to avoid unwanted cross-pollination. Allow seed pods to turn brown and dry before seed harvest. Protect from birds.

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