The lactuca sativaLettuce, which probably sounds more familiar to you because of the name of lettuce, is one of the most cultivated and consumed vegetables in the world. The Mediterranean diet includes it in practically all its salads and in a large number of dishes, and the enormous variety of varieties that this plant has makes it possible to consume it throughout the year and in many different ways, whether it is fresh salads, garnishes or cooked in more elaborate dishes.
In this EcologíaVerde article we are going to see some of the 14 varieties or types of lettuce that there is mainly for, in this simple way, to better understand this vegetable that has earned the title of queen of salads.
Lollo rosso or red leaf lettuce
Variety lollo rosso or red leaf lettuce It is native to Italy and stands out for its leaves with reddish ends and very curly. It has a somewhat bitter taste, and the best time of year to consume it is the months after the summer.
Endive
escarole can show smooth or curly leaves depending on the specific variety, but it always has a spicy flavor with bitter touches that makes it very characteristic. The central leaves are lighter in color and less bitter. Its best time is winter.
Red oak leaf lettuce
Between the types of lettuce most common on tables today we also find the red oak leaf lettuce. It has leaves with shades that go from purple to green, it is a variety with very curly leaves and a flavor that tends to be sweet. It is appreciated for its tender texture, and its best months are between March and June.
french lettuce
also called trocadero lettucethe variety of french lettuce It shows long and very green leaves, fine and with a sweet and mild flavor. It is recommended to consume it in spring, since it is undoubtedly its best time. Actually, it is very common to find it in salads, both just this variety and in dishes with various types of lettuce.
iceberg lettuce
The iceberg lettuce, very common to find in supermarkets, has the shape of a compact sphere. It gets its name from its resistance to cold, and is widely used as a garnish for all kinds of dishes due to its Smooth flavor.
Romaine lettuce
It is also known as donkey ear or spanish lettuce. The leaves of the Romaine lettuce they are elongated and with a clearly distinguishable central nerve. It is also from the most used lettuces and, in addition, it is the variety with the highest nutritional value. Its best time is summer.
head of romaine lettuce
This variety is similar to romaine lettuce, although smaller. The leaves of head of romaine lettuce they are smaller and curlier, and it is remarkably mild in flavor. It is grown in the Netherlands and its best time is between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.
tatsoi lettuce
The tatsoi lettuce Originally from Asia, this variety can be difficult to find on its own in many stores, as it is more common to see it in bags of mixed lettuce. Its leaves are dark green and its intense flavor makes it popular in blends with other milder-flavored lettuces.
red chard lettuce
The red chard lettuce It has a maroon stem and intense green leaves, although there are other varieties of this in which the green color of the leaf is shared but the striking tone of the trunk and nerves change, which can be red, pink or fuchsia or yellow. It is consumed both raw and cooked, and its intense flavor makes it very distinctive. It is quite slow growing compared to other varieties.
batavian lettuce
Another of the types of lettuce is the variety known as batavian lettuce, which is similar to French lettuce, has light green, curly leaves with a fleshy texture, they are very crunchy leaves. It has different varieties in turn, one of them with darker red leaves at its outer end.
arugula
arugula It is a variety of lettuce from the Mediterranean area. Have a intense flavor with bitter and spicy touches, and is grown throughout the year, although it must be harvested before flowering.
Canon
Also Known As field lettuce, it has very small leaves and is consumed mainly in Europe. It has a mild and fresh flavor, and rich nutritional properties. the season of the canons It is between fall and spring.
Endive
With hard and rigid white leaves, this lettuce stands out for its sweet and bitter taste at the same time. endive that is marketed is only the heart of the plant, hence its pointed bullet shape and tight leaves. Its best season is from autumn to spring.
Radicchio
This Italian variety known as all-red leaf radicchio except for its white nerves, it finds its best season in winter, although it is cultivated and consumed throughout the year. its taste is bitter, although it loses part of this characteristic when cooked. They are almost always cultivated using the bleaching technique, in order to attenuate to a certain extent the natural bitterness of their leaves.
To finish, if you love to eat fresh lettuce in your salads and want to opt for the organic one to make it as healthy as possible, we recommend that you encourage yourself to grow it at home, you’ll see how easy it is! In this gardening guide from EcologíaVerde we tell you when and how to plant lettuce and grow it.
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