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Friarielli
’e friarielle
Friarielli
Neapolitan turnip tops sautéed with garlic, olive oil and chilli.
Contains
Friarielli are the flowering shoots of a variety of turnip top. The origin of the name is uncertain: the most widespread theory traces it to “frijere”, to fry – meaning, here, to sauté in a pan.
The story of ’e friarielle
Friarielli, ’e friarielle in Neapolitan, are the young, tender flower shoots of a variety of turnip tops, picked before they bloom. The plant is the same as the cime di rapa of Puglia, which however include leaves and stems as well. In Rome they are called broccoletti.
The origin of the name is uncertain: according to the most widely cited theory it comes from “frijere”, to fry, because they are cooked in a pan with olive oil, garlic and chilli. This way of cooking them even has a dialect name: “vruoccoli scuppettiati”. They are grown all over Campania, with a prized area around Caserta; the best are found from late autumn to early spring. They are eaten with sausage, on pizza and in sandwiches.
They were already food of the people in the nineteenth century: Matilde Serao, in 1884, mentions “a salad of turnip broccoli” among the cheap dishes. Take care not to confuse them with friggitelli, the sweet green peppers that in some areas are called “friarelli”.
What is the difference between friarielli and cime di rapa?
It is the same plant: friarielli are the young, tender flower shoots, picked before they bloom; the cime di rapa of Puglia include leaves and stems as well.
Why are they called friarielli?
The most widely cited theory is that the name comes from the Neapolitan “frijere”, to fry: they are cooked in a pan with olive oil, garlic and chilli.
Are friarielli and friggitelli the same thing?
No: friggitelli are sweet green peppers, sometimes called “friarelli”; Neapolitan friarielli are a leafy vegetable.