A leafy green with a distinctive peppery, slightly bitter flavor, also known as rocket or roquette. It's commonly used in salads, as a pizza topping, or wilted into pasta dishes.
From Italian dialect 'arugula,' derived from Latin 'eruca.' The word entered American English in the 1960s, while British English retained 'rocket' from French 'roquette.'
Arugula was considered an aphrodisiac by ancient Romans, who even banned it from monastery gardens during medieval times! It's actually related to mustard and radishes, which explains its peppery bite - the same compounds that make your eyes water.
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