17 Types Of Lettuce And How To Use It.

Is lettuce a vegetable or a fruit?

The range of lettuce in the supermarket has expanded considerably in recent years. More colors of lettuce have been added and the flavors of this lettuce also differ. You can now vary almost endlessly, your salad can be different every time. In this blog we discuss 17 types of lettuce. Delicious!

You really can’t go wrong with lettuce. Any lettuce tastes good; from a nutty taste to an earthy taste. In addition, lettuce is also very healthy and easy to prepare. You have made a delicious salad or a colorful sandwich in no time.

Do you want to know how to keep lettuce or salad fresh for a long time? Read our blog ‘ How to store lettuce? ‘ and you know everything.

1. Crop lettuce

First the best-known and best-selling lettuce in the Netherlands, the head lettuce. This lettuce is also called Butter lettuce because of the soft leaves. The taste of this lettuce is spicy, which makes this lettuce type well in a salad or on a sandwich.

The leaves on the outside are green and the closer to the core, the more compact the lettuce becomes and the lighter the leaves become. Like all types of lettuce, head lettuce is available all year round.

2. Batavia Sla

One of the older types of lettuce is the Batavia Lettuce. It is the ancestor of the Iceberg lettuce, although it is more similar to the regular head lettuce. The leaf of this lettuce is puckered and wavy. The lettuce is loose on the outside and more compact on the inside.

The lettuce is less crunchy than Iceberg lettuce. The taste of this lettuce is neutral and therefore combines well with other seasonings such as onion, bell pepper and dressings.

3. Oak leaf lettuce

This type of lettuce, the Oak Leaf Lettuce, has a completely different shape and color. The leaves are green with brown edges. The taste is nutty, in contrast to other lettuce varieties. That alone makes this lettuce special and combines very well with other lettuce varieties that have a more neutral taste.

This lettuce got its name because the leaves resemble oak leaves. The lettuce is often used in salads, not only because of the taste but also because of the color.

This lettuce is now also available all year round.

4. Frisee Lollo Rosso

This lettuce has a very loose structure and a characteristic leaf with many incisions. This makes it a very decorative lettuce variety. The taste of the Lollo Rosso is, like most lettuce varieties, neutral. Because of the leaves and the color it is a very decorative lettuce variety and is often used on sandwiches.

Because of the incised leaves and curly appearance, if you look at the lettuce from the top, the lettuce is also known as curly lettuce. The original name is Lollo Rosso and sounds Italian. The lettuce also originates from Italy.

5. Frisee Lollo Bionda

As you probably already expect, this lettuce is the green sister of the Frisee Lollo Roso. The lettuce has the same properties as the Lollo Rosso; Strongly curled and incised leaves and the taste is also neutral.

This lettuce also has its origin in Italy. Together with the Lollo Rosso, this Lollo Bionda is a decoration of any salad and is therefore often processed together.

6. Radicchio Rosso

This Radicchio Rosso is actually related to the Chicory. In the Netherlands, however, the Chicory is cooked more often and the Radicchio is more often used in a salad. However, raw chicory is definitely recommended for a salad.

The crop has a firm structure with red leaves and white veins. The leaf is firm yet crunchy. The taste of this lettuce variety is slightly bitter, just like chicory.

The shape of the lettuce looks a bit like the Iceberg lettuce, but is not related to it. The lettuce has this color because it is kept out of direct sunlight. Today, this lettuce is also available all year round, sometimes not in the supermarket, but certainly at vegetable specialty stores.

7. Roman (Romanesque, Romana, Bind) Sla

This lettuce has become famous because it is an ingredient of the well-known Waldorf salad. This type of lettuce is also called Romanesque, Romana or Cos lettuce. So different names for one lettuce variety. This lettuce is widely eaten in southern European countries.

This lettuce gets its shape because it grows straight up. The lettuce has a firm structure with large leaves and white veins. The taste of this lettuce is slightly sweet and because of this it gives a different taste to salads.

8. Arugula

This lettuce has many nicknames namely Rocket Lettuce, Rougette, Nut Lettuce and Mustard Lettuce just to name a few. It is a type of lettuce whose leaves are plucked loose. It is not available in a crop. When these leaves are picked, new leaves simply grow all year round.

The taste of Rucola is spicy, nutty and bitter at the same time and is therefore becoming increasingly popular in the Netherlands. The lettuce is harvested in the Mediterranean area.

Arugula is actually a type of cabbage. However, in use we see it as lettuce and Rucola is also known to most of us.

9. Lamb’s lettuce

Lamb’s lettuce is a completely different type of lettuce. It is family of the Honeysuckle. In the past, corn salad was seen as a weed, but today corn salad is grown in the Netherlands.

Lamb’s lettuce has a nutty taste. A welcome addition to a salad! It is certainly also a desirable addition in lukewarm or warm dishes. This allows us to use less herbs in the dish you prepare because of the nutty taste.

10. Iceberg lettuce

There it is, the Iceberg Lettuce. One of the most commonly used lettuce varieties in the Netherlands. The Iceberg lettuce has a compact green head with large curled leaves. The structure of the leaf is crispy.

The taste of Iceberg lettuce is fresh and neutral, which is why this lettuce is often used in salads.

The lettuce got its name because in America the lettuce was transported by train from the West Coast to the East Coast under a thick layer of ice. Nowadays, Iceberg lettuce is also grown in Dutch greenhouses.

11. Chard Leaf

Swiss chard is a leafy crop that we use as lettuce in the Netherlands. That is why the Swiss chard belongs in the list. Swiss chard is compared to spinach, also in terms of the taste. The taste also seems a bit earthy like beets. It is certainly used in the Netherlands, but Swiss chard is less popular, which is a shame.

The chard stems resemble rhubarb. We eat the stems and leaves of the Swiss chard. The younger the stems, the softer the texture and taste. This type of lettuce is also delicious in a salad. However, Swiss chard can also be eaten boiled and baked.

12. Little Gem Salad

This lettuce is a Romana lettuce in a small version. Little gem lettuce falls under the group of Bindsla. You can find them more and more in the supermarket. This lettuce also grows straight up, only it is a smaller version. Because of the smaller version, we can prepare it in a different way.

The taste of the Little Gem is sweeter than the normal Romana lettuce. This allows this lettuce to be used in other dishes. The lettuce can be eaten raw, but a roasted Littel gem on your plate is also a party.

13. Endive

You don’t expect it, or you do, but Endive is the next in the line of lettuce varieties. The Endive is a loose head with large green leaves. The taste of endive is bitter soft. The endive looks a lot like the frisee lettuce

Even though endive is more often eaten cooked than raw in the Netherlands, you can still make delicious salads with it. Endive can very well serve as a replacement for the regular lettuce.

14. Radish green

The green of Radish is also processed as lettuce. The leaves of the Radish even contain 6 times as much nutrients as the Radishes themselves. So for that reason alone it is wise to process it in a lettuce.

The leaves of the Radish have a strong herbaceous taste. A salad of only these leaves is not a good idea, but as a spicy addition it can certainly be a surprise.

15. Watercress

Watercress is a very healthy sprouting vegetable. They are very young lettuce leaves from freshly germinated seed and packed with vitamin K. The taste of watercress is strongly spicy, peppery and concentrated.

The leaves are at the end of a crispy stem. The watercress is sold in a tray and is always kept in the refrigerated shelf, because otherwise they will continue to grow. The watercress does well in salads and on sandwiches. Also nice for decoration on your plate with a main course.

16. Spinach

Spinach is also eaten raw and used in salads. Rightly so! it is delicious to eat it raw and all nutrients are preserved, unlike prepared spinach. The spinach can be used very well as the main ingredient of your salad.

The raw spinach has a full flavour, especially when you use the small and young leaves for your salad. In addition, spinach is super healthy and contains a good dose of vitamin A and iron.

17. Multicolor Lettuce or Tricolor Lettuce

This lettuce variety is not a new lettuce variety, but it is a product composed of three lettuce varieties. These 3 lettuce varieties grow together on a small root ball and are often sold with the root ball.

It is often a combination of Lollo Rosso, Lollo Bionda and Oak leaf lettuce. These 3 lettuce varieties grow together on one root ball. The total volume you buy in the store should be the same as a head of lettuce.

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