Its various shapes and colors give us clues about the nutrients they provide, and depending on their flavor we can combine them to get the perfect salad.
The ingredient in salads par excellence refreshes, remineralizes and provides fiber and antioxidants that preserve health.
7 TYPES OF LETTUCE AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Get to know some of its most common varieties and you will discover which the ideal dressing is, with what other ingredients they combine well in salad, and which are the most abundant nutrients in each one of them.
We also tell you what is the ideal season to consume them and where they are grown.
Romaine lettuce
The most common lettuce in Spain is also known as “donkey’s ear”, due to the elongated and rigid shape of its leaves.
Widely grown in Spain, Italy and Germany, this variety grows with loose, upright heads, with intensely green outer leaves surrounding a crisp, golden-yellow bud.
Its dark leaves contain remarkable amounts of lutein, which protects the eyes.
It is one of the varieties that is best preserved.
Its stems can also be prepared boiled and have a slight asparagus flavor.
Wonder lettuce
This lettuce can be consumed throughout the year because there is a summer variety, which grows from May to October, and another that is harvested from December to May, baptized as “four seasons”.
Its large, curly leaves form a dense green bud that intensifies towards the ends until it turns reddish around the edges. These especially thick leaves have a very crunchy and juicy texture with a sweet but slightly astringent taste.
In salad, it admits consistent dressings and is well accompanied by dried fruits such as pine nuts and walnuts .
“Oak Leaf”
This vegetable is not properly a lettuce since it belongs to the chicory family .
Originally from England, where it is eaten both raw and cooked, its great appeal lies in its striking, highly lipped leaves that are reminiscent of oak and that add volume to salads.
In addition, green and purple add color to the dishes.
Its leaves have a flavor reminiscent of walnuts and go well with fresh cheeses and dressings such as vinaigrette.
They are very fragile and perishable, so it is necessary to consume them as soon as possible.
Trocadero lettuce
It is a rounded French lettuce with slightly tight and very tender leaves. It is the reason why it is also known as “butter head”.
It is dressed in a beautiful bright green color and sometimes has reddish splashes due to the presence of anthocyanin’s, with antioxidant effects.
Its leaves, with wavy edges, form a fluffy rose-shaped bud, of excellent quality, which requires very sober and light dressings.
It is considered a very suitable type of lettuce to compose salads with wild berries.
Lolo Russo lettuce
This lettuce of Italian origin is easily distinguished by its very curly leaves, which form a hemispherical rosette.
The beautiful dark red and burgundy color of its edges, due to the presence of anthocyanin’s, is an attractive decorative motif for any plate.
Like other vegetables with a bitter touch, it stands out for its choler etic effect, which promotes digestion.
It provides vitamins A and C, and especially folic acid.
It is grown throughout Spain from May to September.
Its intense flavor harmonizes very well with strong dressings.
Iceberg lettuce
The fleshy and tough leaves of this lettuce form very compact cabbages that weigh up to three times more than any other head lettuce.
It has shiny leaves that, due to their size and peculiar shape, are very useful for wrapping raw vegetables.
The iceberg triumphed in the United States due to its great resistance to transportation and its ease of conservation. Well wrapped, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. However, it is the one that contributes the least nutrients.
It pairs well with consistent yogurt or kefir-based dressings.
Tupelo buds
This tiny lettuce is traditionally grown in the Navarrete municipality of Tupelo and around the banks of the Ebro. It does not exceed 12 cm in length and its leaves, strong and rough, have the peculiarity that they spontaneously clump together, without being tied.
It is usually prepared by cutting it lengthwise to serve it drizzled in a vinaigrette with a generous dose of garlic.
It has a slightly more bitter taste than that of other lettuces and produces a slight feeling of satiety.
Its richness in enzymes facilitates digestion.
