Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important as the leaf. Both the English name and the Latin name of the genus are ultimately derived from lac, the Latin word for “milk”, referring to the plant’s milky juice. Mild in flavor, it has been described over the centuries as a cooling counterbalance to other ingredients in a salad.
Selecting:
Good-quality iceberg lettuce will have fairly large, moderately firm heads that give to gentle pressure, and thick leaves. The leaves will be medium to light-green in color blending to nearly white ribs or veins. Scratch the stalk and smell. A sweet or bitter smell means sweet or bitter flavor.
Avoid product with thin, wilted leaves and brown spots. Extremely solid, light-colored heads mean all core and less taste. Oblong and cracked heads mean poor growing conditions.
Storage:
Iceberg lettuce should be stored away from ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples, bananas and pears, since they will cause the lettuce leaves to brown. Availability: |
