Arugula's Love Language - Earthbound Farm

Is This Why They Call it Rocket? 😉

Without getting NSFW…it all started on an early February day about 20 years ago when a young man with a heavy Brooklyn-before-it-was-hipster accent called us to ask, “What’s arugula for?” He sounded like he was in his early 20s. And we said, a bit perplexed, “You mean other than salad?”

“Ya.”

At that point, despite growing lots of organic arugula over the years, we didn’t know about its slightly risqué history or that it had any kind of reputation other than for its peppery, nutty deliciousness. But we could tell by how he asked the question he wasn’t looking for a recipe for arugula pesto. Thinking quickly, we googled while we were on the phone with him and, to our surprise, we found a trove of information about arugula and its reputedly aphrodisiac properties.

So we asked him, “Are you asking if arugula is an aphrodisiac?”

“Uh, ya,” he said and giggled with discomfort, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Well, that’s what the ancient Greeks and Romans thought,” we said. But also added, “But you know, as a woman I might suggest treating her to a nice dinner might be a better way to woo her. Maybe you could order oysters and an arugula salad, just to seal the deal.”

Then he giggled some more and hung up. I wonder how his Valentine’s Day dinner went? Hey, if that caller is out there and reads this, get in touch and let us know.

Register for our FREE February 10th Cooking Class

We can’t really attest to arugula’s effectiveness at winning over the object of your affections as an aphrodisiac, but it will win their hearts and minds with its uniquely delicious flavor. So if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day flavor bomb of a meal, sign up for our FREE Valentine’s Day class with Chef Joel and our friends at Homemade on February 10^th at 4pm Pacific and learn to make this Spanish Arugula Salad with Scallops, plus oysters and chocolate truffles!