View source for Arugula

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[[Image:Arugula.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Leafy arugula]]

'''Arugula''', also known as '''rocket''', '''garden rocket''', '''rocket salad''', '''rugola''', '''rucola''' and '''roquette'''<ref>The term ''arugula'' (variations of Italian dialects around ''arigola'') is the term often used by the Italian diaspora in Australia and North America; both words ''arugula'' and ''rocket'' ultimately come from the Latin word stem roc and ''eruca'' which means harsh, in reference to its bitter flavour especially when collected from the wild.</ref>, is a type of [[leaf vegetable]], which looks like a longer leaved and open [[lettuce]].  Rocket is a herbaceaus annual or perennial; a member of the [[Mustard plant|mustard]] family (Brassicaceae = Cruciferae). It is rich in [[vitamin C]] and [[iron]].

Arugula has been grown as a [[vegetable]] in the [[Mediterranean]] area since [[Roman empire|Roman]] times, and was considered an [[aphrodisiac]]. Before the 1990s it was usually collected in the wild and was not cultivated on a large scale and not scientifically researched until the 1990s. Today, it is cultivated in various places, especially in [[Veneto]], Italy, but is available throughout the world.