"Mugnuli 'del Salento Lecce, you see them, love them, eat them and save you!

"Mugnuli 'del Salento Lecce, you see them, love them, eat them and save you!


Antonio Bruno *

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"Mugnuli" are a hell of Salento Lecce broccoli that grows wild and is cultivated all along. We eat only in Salento Lecce, is tasty and authentic and good for health because they are present in this vegetable "NATURE" substances whose intake can prevent certain cancers of the digestive tract.

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Salento Lecce has always been considered a reservoir of biodiversity, germplasm, there is more here than in other parts of the Italian peninsula because it is a ZIP Biogeography between East and West.

Want proof? The plant species present in Italy are 7050, 2076 and in Puglia, listen, listen, WE ARE THE ONLY SALENTO 1,400 plant species that are 2 / 3 of the Flora of Puglia 1 / 3 of the Flora of the entire Italian Peninsula. In this regard, the Deputy Mayor for agricultural resources of the Region of Puglia, Salento Lecce Dario Stephen has prepared a draft law for the protection of biodiversity which I am sure will be very useful to Salento Lecce.

Among the plant species of agricultural interest of Salento in Lecce is a broccoli that I adore, called "Mugnuli" in the plural. How do you say? Want to know how to say in the singular? There is not, and do not look like that! The singular of "Mugnuli" does not exist because no woman of this land has requested to purchase only one plant of this delicious vegetable! If they buy so many plants Mugnuli and that's why when you go to the farmer or the market, are being asked to buy a kilo or two pounds or more "Mugnuli!

The different varieties of Brassica are grown in Italy B. oleracea L. var. botrytis L. (Cauliflower) and var. convar italica (broccoli).

In Salento Lecce this broccoli is also called "ribs Lecce", "spuriàtu," "Trimmings," "càulu pòeru" and "villagers Caulfield"

This broccoli has a greater ability to withstand adversity so as to be defined more rustic than other varieties and ultimately also a certain diversity of morphology than the other broccoli sprouts, in fact, the inflorescence is smaller and less compact, the individual flowers of Lecce ribs are white, larger and larger floral bracts than broccoli.

Its flavor is sweeter and more aromatic than any other cabbage and that's why I'm going crazy.

It 'been mentioned only occasionally by Calzecchi-Onesti in 1954 and in 1993, while Massie have written extensively G. Ponds, F. Martignano, V. Falco, S. Cifarelli in 2005.

The truth is, as always, is grown in the Salento Lecce this delicious vegetable, but that is almost unheard of and in the rest of Puglia in Italy!

It would take a genetic study to determine whether they are ancestors of Mugnuli Broccoli sprouts or whether they constitute a parallel development.

The heads of the Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Plant Ecology - Department of Environmental Science and Technology University of Salento found in "Mugnuli" the presence of indoles and for this reason that eating this vegetable is achieved by preventing certain cancers typical of the digestive system . But what is most interesting is that women who breastfeed the child, consuming Mugnuli, produce more milk! Much milk for the children if the mothers feed on Mugnuli. But what does the word Mugnuli?

I'm always intrigued by words, by their sense and I appreciate the attempt by the prof. Armando Polito to explain the meaning of "Mugnuli. Among the many meanings proposed by prof. Polito I was very impressed the meaning of "quirks" since the word "Mugnuli. This meant you could reconnect the old belief that those who had conspicuously curled hair was filled with mysterious cravings pungent. In short, since the word derives from the word whim head and the word hedgehog, and noting that the shape of the vegetable resembles a curly head, this has allowed the fantasy of prof. Armando Polito to assume a metaphorical use of the name of the vegetable.

However the "Mugnuli" can be distinguished in Salento Lecce at least three ecotypes: praecox, and major serotypes. The first is called "mugnulettu", develops content and is grown in light soil, its production is an early, limited, but organoleptically pleasing, for this reason is highly sought after by fans like me of this vegetable.

Landraces and major serotypes, have a greater development, in particular the serotypes that and even later, are grown in heavy soils, fresh and fertile. The plants are bushy and a vivid green.

We are just at the right time to enjoy this wonderful vegetable that is available from mid November to March-April. The last ribs Lecce arrive just in time for the Mass of St. Joseph, prepared in honor of the saint on March 19.

After cutting the main head to Mugnuli (a corymb) grow many small items that can be cut from the same plant for 1 or 2 months, the time depends on how much water is available to the plant.

If you had the wish to cultivate in your garden is well bred first transplant a seedling in seedbed, the sowing must be done 20-25 days before transplantation. When in mid-July or mid-October as the plants reach a height of 10-20 cm, transplanting, farmers often use staggered plantings to extend the production period. Fertilization takes place in stage two to four leaves. We must fight the larvae of insects and rodents as fond of me Mugnuli.

The transplant is performed in a well-worked soil, fertilized with 7-8 q / ha of fertilizer ternary

and example 11-22-16. Trees must be placed at a distance within the row of 40-50 cm and 80-100 cm between rows, depending on the type of mechanical means available. It intervenes with ammonium sulphate twice after the first transplant and the second during the formation of the main text.

I "Mugnuli" as we have said plants are more resistant to biotic stresses than other kale (Brassica spp.) Represented by the cabbage butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.), the flea beetle (Epitrix sp.) Problems and the growing of snails "Mugnuli "especially when the plants are very young, even if the greater resistance," Mugnuli "have minor damage compared to cabbage.

The thing I like most is that herbicides are not used in the cultivation of "Mugnuli" because the fields are not very large and are Mugnuli products for family use and small local markets.

Some farmers leave trees "Mugnuli" for many years, only that the crop quality deteriorates with each passing year.

A final note regards the dispersal of seeds Mugnuli because of the wind when they fall in other soils grow as a wild plant of Salento in Lecce.



* Agronomist



Bibliography



Dr. Rita Receive the Botanical Garden of the University of Lecce - Seminar at the Pedagogical Institute of Maglie (LE)

Botanical Garden - Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Plant Ecology - Department of Environmental Science and Technology University of Salento - Salento Vegetables

G. Ponds, F. Martignano, V. Falco, S. Cifarelli, T. and K. Gladis Hammer: "Mugnoli": a Neglected Race of Brassica oleracea L. from Salento (Italy)

Armando Polito: cabbage http://spigolaturesalentine.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/cavoli-a-merenda/

"Salento Sapori", produced by the Chamber of Commerce of Lecce, Salento Publishing, June 2007

ECalzecchi-Onesti A. 1954. Cavolbroccolo. In: REDA (ed.), Encyclopedia of Italian Agriculture, Vol II. Rome, pp.403-404.

Th Gladis and Hammer K. 2003. Die-Brassica oleracea-Gruppe. Schriften FRI, 69 pp.

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Perrino P, Pignone D. and Hammer K. 1992. The occurrence of a wild Brassica of the oleracea group (2n = 18) in Calabria (Italy). Euphytica 59 (2-3): 99-101