Cookbook:Lettuce

Lettuce
Category	Vegetables

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Lettuce is a variety of leafy green vegetable in the genus Lactuca.^[1][2][3]

All varieties of lettuce are succulent and crispy, with a high water content,^[2] and most have green leaves.^[1] The aroma is grassy, and the flavor is mildly bitter,^[2] with anthocyanin-containing red-leafed lettuce having an especially pronounced bitterness.^[4] When broken, the central leaf rib produces a milky liquid.^[1][2] Leaves closer to the center of the head are generally paler than the outer ones. When immature, lettuces may be called baby lettuce, and they have smaller leaves and a more tender flavor and texture.^[3]

There are somewhere on the order of thousands of lettuce varieties,^[5] but many can be sorted into one of four broad categories: romaine, leaf, butterhead, or crisphead.^[3][4][5] Romaine (also called cos) grows in elongated, loose heads with narrow leaves and sturdy central ribs.^[1][3][5][6] It tends to be relatively flavorful.^[3][6] Leaf lettuces do not form compact heads,^[3][6] with the leaves instead spreading out—this makes it convenient to pluck a few leaves from the growing plant as desired.^[7] Some varieties may have red coloration;^[5][6] generally mild flavor that increases in bitterness with age.^[5] Butterhead lettuces form loose, rounded heads,^[5][7] and the leaves form little cups when separated off.^[3] Their leaves are light green, the texture is soft,^[7] and the flavor is mild.^[3][5] As the name implies, crisphead lettuces have very crisp leaves^[7]—iceberg lettuce, which grows in very compacted heads, is a classic example of this variety.^[2][3][7] A visually distinct variety of lettuce is called stem lettuce, celtuce, or Chinese lettuce. This variety is cultivated for its thick fleshy stalk rather than its leaves.^[4][7]

• 
  Butterhead lettuce
• 
  Romaine lettuce
• 
  Iceberg lettuce
• 
  Indian lettuce
• 
  Stem lettuce

When selecting lettuces of any variety, look for crisp leaves that have no sign of wilting, drying, yellowing, bruising, rot, or insect damage.^[1][3][5] Head lettuce should be dense and seem heavy.^[1] Boxed greens should be examined to check for excess moisture or poor quality leaves at the bottom.^[1]

Lettuce should be stored, unwashed and uncut,^[1][5] in the refrigerator.^[5] They should be wrapped in plastic or damp towels to prevent wilting,^[1][5] but excess moisture will speed rot.^[1] Head lettuce generally keeps better than leaf lettuce, which is more vulnerable to damage.^[4] The cooler the temperature, the longer the shelf life,^[1] but freezing will damage lettuce leaves^[1] and is not recommended.

To prepare lettuce in most cases, start by separating the individual leaves from each other.^[5] Iceberg lettuce can be firmly smacked, stem-side down, on a hard surface to loosen and dislodge the core.^[1][8] Thicker central leaf ribs may be trimmed or cut out if desired.^[5][6] Lettuce must then be washed before serving to remove any traces of dirt and grit,^[5] then dried well to help dressing stick (if applicable).^[1] Salad spinners are ideal tools to remove excess water.^[5]

Lettuce is a very popular green and is eaten both raw and cooked. Used raw, lettuce primarily contributes textural contrast through its crisp refreshing characteristics.^[9] For example, it may be included within sandwiches, wraps, and rolls;^[2][9] it may also be used to wrap or contain other foods,^[9] as in Korean ssam. Lettuce is very popular in green salads,^[1][2][7] such as Caesar salad and Waldorf salad.^[2] In many cuisines, lettuce is also cooked, whereupon it carries flavor and provides a tender and mellow vegetal crunch.^[9][10][11] Depending on the variety and preparation, it can take well to different cooking styles, including grilling, braising, stir-frying, blanching, and inclusion in soups.^{[7][9][10][11]} Generally speaking, sturdier varieties of lettuce such as romaine or a-choy are best suited for cooking, as they will withstand the heat better.^[10]

Depending on the variety of lettuce and the dish, other leafy greens may be substituted for the lettuce. You'll want to match the general texture and flavor profile.

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012-04-11). The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-18603-3.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2014-09-26). Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-09183-9.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Labensky, Sarah R.; Hause, Alan M.; Martel, Priscilla (2018-01-18). On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-13-444190-0.
4. ↑ ^{a b c d} McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) (2011-09-13). The Professional Chef. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-42135-2.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Gisslen, Wayne (2014-04-15). Professional Cooking. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-63672-5.
7. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
8. ↑ Bill (2017-03-27). "Stir-Fried Lettuce, A Healthy Cooked Lettuce Recipe". The Woks of Life. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
9. ↑ ^{a b c d e} "Lettuce Is So Much More than Salad. Here Are 10 More Ways to Eat It". Kitchn. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
10. ↑ ^{a b c} "Why You Should Cook Your Lettuce | America's Test Kitchen". www.americastestkitchen.com. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
11. ↑ ^{a b} Berrill, Anna (2024-04-30). "How to use up a whole head of lettuce without making salad" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/apr/30/how-to-use-up-lettuce-without-salad-kitchen-aide-anna-berrill.