The word lettuce comes from the Latin lactuca, which is derived from lactus, meaning “milk”. It was named for the milky sap secreted by the stems when they are cut. Lettuce is an annual plant that comes in about 100 varieties. The leaves are usually green but may also be red. They vary in shape and flavor depending on variety.
This vegetable plant is native of the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia. Cultivation of lettuce can be traced back as far as 4500 BC, at which time it was most likely grown for the oil of its seeds. Depictions of lettuce appeared in ancient Egyptian tombs and it has been well established the Persians consumed lettuce leaves around the year 600 BC. The Greeks and Romans held lettuce in high esteem, both as a food and for its therapeutic medicinal properties. Columbus is said to have introduced lettuce into the Caribbean.
The lettuce that we see today, actually started out as a weed around the Mediterranean basin. Served in dishes for more than 4500 years, lettuce has certainly made its mark in history with tomb painting in Egypt and identification of different types of lettuces by various Greek scholars. Christopher Columbus introduced lettuce to the New World and from there, lettuce in the United States being cultivated.
Nutritional value: Lettuce is rich in water and low in calories. Most varieties are rich in folic acid. Vitamin and mineral content differ by variety. Usually the greener the lettuce, the more vitamins and minerals it contains. Lettuce is said to simulate the appetite and to have an analgesic, emollient and sedative properties. It is recommended for insomnia, nervous excitement and as a cough remedy. In the Middle Ages, monks were advised to eat lettuce to purge the body of lust.
When it comes to lettuce, it is best to mix and match a variety of different types. A variety of lettuces provides not only for a host of different flavors and textures, but also a broad range of nutrients that each lettuce variety has to offer. For example, different salad greens offer distinct flavonoid phytonutrients. Green leaf varieties have the flavonoid called quercitin, but you'll need red leaves to get any of the flavonoids called cyanidins. To get good supplies of kaempferol, you may want to include some endive. The different colors in the leaves may not seem significant, but each shading represents a different combination of flavonoids and other pigments, and researchers are continually learning about different ways in which these flavonoids and pigments help prevent disease. Most dark greens are good sources of Vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, folate, and dietary fiber. The rule of thumb is, usually, the darker the greens, the more nutritious the leaf.
Unlike the United States, where a single type of crisp-head lettuce - iceberg - dominates the market, European traditions have always focused on the variety found not only in lettuces but also in all types of greens. Special names for mixed greens are in fact part of everyday language in France and Italy. For the French, mixed greens are often described under the heading of "mesclumo." Mesclumo is part of the Nicois dialect and means "mixture." In the United States, mesclumo is usually referred to as "mesclun mix."
The idea of a greens mix in France is not simply to get any old mixture of greens. The idea is to combine four basic flavor types through a careful mixing of greens: mild, bitter/tart, piquant, and pepper/spicy. For the mild component, a leaf lettuce will typically be included. For the piquant, perhaps mustard greens. For the bitter/tart flavor, radicchio, escarole, mizuna, or curly endive. To round out the peppery/spicy component, usually included is either arugula or watercress.
Many of the components of a mesclun mix are not technically lettuces, but rather, a diverse array of greens that are chosen for their distinct flavor combinations. Other greens available for a mesclun mix include sorrel, parsley, basil, chive, fennel, purslane, dandelion green, chervil, and groundsel. In Italy, the comparable greens mix is usually referred to as "misticanza." ("Mista" in Italian means "mixed").
There are four primary types of lettuces and hundreds of varieties.
- Head lettuces. The least nutritious of the salad greens (which includes iceberg), this pale green lettuce takes on the cabbage appearance. It usually forms the most firm and densely packed heads, although in exchange for this durability, they are often the least flavorful.
- Leaf lettuces. This variety doesn’t grow to form lettuce heads, but instead the leaves are joined at the stem. Good examples of this variety include: oak leaf, red leaf, and green leaf. These lettuces are much more delicate than the crisp-head variety, but also much more diverse and flavorful. Green leaf lettuces include Black-seeded Simpsons, Grand Rapids, and Oak Leaf lettuce. Red leaf varieties include Red Fire, Red Sails, and Ruby.
- Romaine or Cos lettuce. This lettuce features a semi-dark green, stiff, upright leaf. It has a loaf-like shape with darker outer leaves, a strong taste and crispy texture. Green Towers, with slightly larger leaves, and Cimmaron, an unusual dark red cos type, are also available in some areas. has gained tremendous popularity in the past decade as the key ingredient in Caesar salads. usually found in the Paris Island variety,
- Stem lettuces are also called asparagus lettuces, or sometimes Celtuce (for "celery plus lettuce"). Like celery, the leaves are usually peeled off and the stem eaten.
Several Lettuce Varieties and Other Leafy Greens
Arugula (rocket or roquette). This variety is characterized by small, flat leaves with long stems, quite similar looking to dandelion leaves, and a peppery taste. This lettuce is usually paired with other varieties to balance out the taste.
Belgian endive or French endive. This leaf is a family member of chicory and escarole, with tightly packed leaves and bullet-like shape. Creamy yellow or white in color, slightly bitter in taste, but crisp in texture.
Chicory or curly endive. This leaf is slightly bitter, with darker outer leaves and paler or even yellow leaves towards the center. The leaves itself are ragged edged on long thin stems.
Escarole. Another member of the chicory family, this lettuce has broad wavy leaves and a milder taste than chicory.
Mâche or lamb’s lettuce or field salad. With a fingerlike shape, velvety feel, and mild taste, this variety is usually sold bunched together with its roots, at an expensive price due to its delicate and perishable nature.
Raddicchio. This variety looks like red cabbage, but it’s actually a chicory family member. This leaf is typically used for an accent in salads because of its steep cost as most radicchio lettuce arrives from Italy.
Selection and Storage
When selecting your leaves, be sure that they are fresh and crisp, with no signs of wilting, slim, or dark spots or edges. Remember when selecting your lettuce that the darker outer leaves are the most nutritious.
Lettuce tends to keep well in plastic bags in the crisper section of the refrigerator. Iceberg lettuce keeps the best, lasting around two weeks, while Romaine, ten days, and butterheads types and endives lasts approximately four days. The very delicate greens don’t last very long, so it’s best to buy only as much as you need at one time and use immediately.
Salad greens should not be stored near fruits that produce ethylene gases (like apples) as this will increase brown spots on the lettuce leaves and increase spoilage. Greens that are bought in bunches should be checked for insects. Those leaves that have roots should be placed in a glass of water with a bag over the leaves and then placed in the refrigerator.
Alternate Use
In addition to their most common use in salads, you can also braise, steam, sauté and even grill certain lettuce varieties to create a wonderful and different taste treat. Try halving a head of radicchio or romaine lengthwise, and brush on some extra virgin olive oil, and grill until they soften and just begin to brown-absolutely delicious.
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