Lettuce

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Lettuce (butterhead)

Description and History

The words lettuce and salad are practically interchangeable since most salads are made predominantly with the green crispy leaves of lettuce. Most varieties of lettuce exude small amounts of a white, milky liquid when their leaves are broken. This "milk" gives lettuce its slightly bitter flavour and its scientific name, Lactuca sativa since Lactuca is derived from the Latin word for milk.

Lettuce can be classified into various categories with the most common being:

• Butterhead forms loose heads; it has a buttery texture. 
• Chinese lettuce types generally have long, sword-shaped, non-head-forming leaves, with a bitter and robust flavour unlike Western types, appropriate for use in stir-fried dishes and stews.
• Crisphead, also called Iceberg, which form tight, dense heads that resemble cabbage. They are generally the mildest of the lettuces, valued more for their crunchy texture than for flavour.
• Looseleaf, with tender, delicate, and mildly flavoured leaves.
• Romaine, also called Cos, grows in a long head of sturdy leaves with a firm rib down the center. Unlike most lettuces, it is tolerant of heat.
• Summer Crisp, also called Batavian, which form moderately dense heads with a crunchy texture.

Native to the eastern Mediterranean region and western Asia, lettuce has a long history. The ancient Greeks and Romans held lettuce in high regard both as a food and for its therapeutic medicinal properties. In China, where lettuce has been growing since the 5th century, it represents good luck. Christopher Columbus introduced varieties of lettuce to North America during his second voyage in 1493.

Uses

▸Tossed with other raw vegetables in a salad

▸Use butterhead lettuce as wrappers for chicken or tuna salads

▸Cook and add lettuce to lasagne, quiches, and casseroles

Storage Tips

Because of the highly perishable nature of lettuce it should always be refrigerated. Wrap in a damp towel or a perforated plastic bag and place in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Don’t store lettuce near apples or bananas that give off ethylene gas that will cause brown spots to develop on the lettuce.

Cooking Tips