Is it safe to eat raw rapini (broccoli raab)?

[Low Country Jon]

I just brought some rapini home in my weekly CSA box. Since I've never used it at home before, I searched the web and found a difference of opinion about eating it raw. Some say "no," but I've yet to find an explanation why. Is it because you get more nutritional value from it when cooked, like spinach? Or is there a more sinister reason?

[Cheese Boy]

A quick dip in boiling salted water for a minute (or two, depending on your liking), and then into an ice bath would be fine. What results is the rabe will taste peppery -- more peppery than bitter actually. The more raw you eat them, the more peppery they will taste. To describe it best, when left undercooked the rabe taste exactly like Chinese
hot mustard. They'll have a nice crunch to them too. One caveat, stringiness.

In New York, "Andy Boy" brand seems to be the best ... http://www.andyboy.com/products/broc_...

[Cookiepants]

There are a few things you shouldn't juice raw but I don't think rapini is one of them. I think one of them is beet greens because they are toxic raw? And apple seeds because of the cyanide.

[Vetter]

I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be safe raw, but it might be rather hard to digest if you're not a big raw brassicas eater.

It's divine with spicy italian sausage and pecorino on pasta. I loooooove broccoli raab.

[Foodnerds]

I agree with happycamper, it is perfectly safe to eat rapini raw. I have never tried it raw as it's so tasty sauteed in olive oil with garlic and a squeeze of lemon. I imagine it's just one of those vegetables people prefer to eat cooked as raw it may be a little tough.

[happycamper]

I only do it with some warm dressing like olive oil with garlic. As far as I know, people usually don't eat it raw because the stems are too stiff...no sinister reason that I know of.