Arugula is a salad green that looks just like an herb. Today, arugula has become a very popular ingredient that can be used in various different recipes. Apart from being favored by different cooking enthusiasts, the green also has many other uses which is precisely what makes it so unique.
However, you may have noticed that there are different varieties of arugula that you can find in the market today. Two of the popular variants are wild arugula and baby arugula. If you have been having a hard time comparing the two, then here are some of the things that you might need to learn!
Wild Arugula vs Baby Arugula
Wild Arugula
The wild arugula comprises jagged small leaves that average around 7-20 centimeters tall. These leaves grow in a bunch with yellow flowers. The leaves are dark green in color. The reason why wild arugula is used is simply because of its consistency for being crisp and having a pungent flavor.
Not only does it have a kind of sweetness in its taste, but you will also get to enjoy the taste of nuts, pepper, pine, and horseradish. Compared to the normal arugula, wild arugula has a more robust flavor and texture, which is why it is mainly used in culinary dishes.
Wild arugula is known to be a brilliant source of vitamin K which is used to help in healing wounds. It also contains vitamin A, which can help protect against certain ailments which include loss of vision, aiding in skin complexion. Besides this, these herbs include vitamin C which can help in inflammation. Other health benefits include regulating fluid levels inside the body and strengthening bones thanks to calcium and potassium.
While there are plenty of use cases for wild arugula, it is both used as a raw ingredient or maybe slightly cooked according to how it will be used. Whenever served, wild arugula can be used as an addition to a salad, or as a topping on certain dishes.
Baby Arugula
Just as the name suggests, baby arugula is usually harvested when the herb is young, which is why it may contain a delicate flavor. In contrast to other matured arugula, baby arugula is sweeter in taste. It also has a lighter flavor, but you can still get the peppery touch which is what really differentiates arugula from any other herb.
Baby arugulas are known to be rich in beta carotene. The greens also contain a massive amount of vitamin C, almost three times more than that present inside spinach.
Like any other arugula, baby arugulas can be used in a variety of different applications. They can be tossed as a whole inside a salad or enjoyed with other dishes. Due to their milder taste, they go especially well with dishes that don’t require a strong taste. Many people also like to add baby arugulas to their pizza as a topping.
What’s The Difference?
While wild arugulas contain leaves that are thin and jagged, they also have a much punchier taste. They are much harder than any other regular arugula. Comparatively, baby arugulas are a lot more tender and are usually less pungent than most matured greens.
Similarly, baby arugulas don’t really have that strong of a taste, which is why they can be used in certain dishes where you might not want such a strong addition of taste. Both wild and baby arugulas are easily available in the market and can be used in a wide range of cooking applications.
The Bottom Line
Even though the taste of arugulas completely depends on their variety, there are certainly other differences that make baby arugula apart from wild arugula. So, before deciding the debate on baby arugula vs wild arugula, we highly recommend you read about both these arugulas in detail and learn what really sets them apart. To learn more, be sure to read through the article!