Raab-O-Rama
This time of year, lots of folks get excited about spring flowers like tulips and daffodils. But those that love seasonal eating would likely rather receive a bouquet of tasty raab, especially because it’s only available for a brief window each spring.
Pronounced like “rob,” raabs are the flowering tops of plants in the Brassica family like kale, turnips, Brussels sprouts, mustards and more. Unlike sprouting broccoli or rapini, which are cultivated for their flowering shoots specifically, these plants were grown last summer for their leaves, roots or sprouts. Farmers left them in the field over the winter, and now they’re sending up new stems to flower and produce seed. Before they bloom, these shoots are harvested, and we get raab!
Raab has real benefits for eaters and farmers. It's super sweet because of the extra sugars the plants produce to survive winter cold, and the young new spring growth means the shoots are exceptionally tender. Depending on the type of Brassica it comes from, the flavor can also be sharp, spicy or nutty. For farmers, raabs are an early crop that provide income before the growing season is in full swing in the Northwest, helping to fill what’s sometimes known as the “hunger gap.”
For produce departments, organic raab is a boon too. Shoppers looking for Northwest grown flavor are eager to fill their carts with these spring greens, and raabs give them a hint at all of the delicious Northwest produce to come in the warmer months.
Raab will only be around while temperatures stay relatively cool, so talk to your Account Rep about bringing in plenty of raab before it’s gone.