Butterhead lettuce
Butterhead lettuce is the most popular of the leaf lettuces. The main producing countries are Italy, France, Spain, England, the Benelux countries and Germany. It is sold as freshly-picked lettuce from May through to October. In the other months of the year it is cultivated in greenhouses. The large outer leaves are soft and juicy. As the inner leaves see very little light, these are not as green and are tenderer. Butterhead lettuce does not have a very strong taste. Alongside the classic vinegar-oil marinade, cream and yoghurt sauces are also suitable as dressings.
Iceberg lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is a variety of crisphead lettuce with a cabbage-like head and crunchy, firm leaves. Its taste is not that intensive, yet is crunchily fresh. As well as being eaten in salads, it may also be blanched in soups or stews. It is field-grown above all in Spain, Italy, France and southern Germany. By the way: Before there were refrigerators, lettuces were covered with ice to keep them fresh. This is how the name came into being.
Lamb’s lettuce
Lamb’s lettuce is also known as field salad and is a typical winter lettuce. It also grows wild by waysides and in fields. There are varieties with small and large leaves, whereby it is primarily the small-leaved varieties that are sold due to their better taste.
Looseleaf lettuce
Looseleaf lettuces are sometimes also called cutting or bunching lettuces as they do not form a head but rather a rosette of leaves. When harvested all the leaves are picked with the exception of the heart. As the lettuce grows back again, it may be picked again twice. Among the looseleaf lettuces are the Italian varieties Lollo Bionda and Lollo Rosso, as well as oakleaf lettuce.
- Lollo Bionda and Lollo Rosso
These heavily crimped leaf lettuces are characterized by a long shelf life and an intensive taste. Finely cut they may be combined excellently with other lettuces in lettuce mixes. They are also suited to strong salad sauces and meat that has been fried only briefly.
- Oakleaf lettuce
This lettuce takes its name from the shape of its leaves, which are reminiscent of an oak leaf. The leaves are light to dark green in colour with reddish tips. Oakleaf lettuce should be consumed as quickly as possible because it loses its shape if stored for long. It tastes excellent served with mushrooms, smoked salmon or avocado.
Chicory
Chicory is a typical winter salad, even though it is on sale all year round. The largest exporter is Belgium, followed by Holland and Germany. If the lettuce is fresh the leaves are still closed. It has a white colour with yellow or red tips. Once these have turned green the lettuce has a slightly bitter taste. The majority of the bitter substances are found in the stalk, which may be simply removed as desired. If a little lemon juice is drizzled over the leaves this neutralizes the bitter taste.
Chicory is impact- and light-sensitive, and the leaves quickly turn brown. It is used in salads or as a warm vegetable, yet may also be used for dips and as a savoury garnish.
Radicchio
Radicchio looks like a small red cabbage. It originates from northern Italy and is a variety of chicory. The leaves are dark red with white veins. It has a strong, bitter taste. The majority of bitter substances are contained in the outside leaves, which are often removed before sale. As radicchio is quite bitter it is often mixed with other lettuce varieties or fruit. It is also suited to yoghurt dressings. As it does not like a hard winter, radicchio is primarily grown in Italy and France.
Dandelion
Dandelion is a wild plant which is regarded as a weed in many countries. In some countries, however, it is regarded as a delicacy. The young leaves may be eaten warm as a vegetable or cold in salads. They have a solid structure; they taste slightly tart and tangy. Only the leaves without the stem are eaten. There are two types of dandelion – those with pale leaves and those with dark green leaves. The latter have a somewhat stronger taste. Generally dandelion tastes good with onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and parmesan. The main countries in which it is cultivated are France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland.
Rocket
This lettuce variety, which is grown above all in Italy and France and is also known as rucola or arugula, has a strong, tangy, slightly mustardy taste. Older leaves, on the other hand, tend to taste bitter. Rocket has become very popular in recent years and is now even found on pizzas and in risottos. It may also be served with parmesan and walnut oil. As rocket is generally very rich in nitrate, in winter – when lettuce contains even higher levels of nitrate – it should only be eaten in salad mixes.
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