When was iceberg lettuce developed

The wedge with a coating of blue cheese dressing and bacon bits is a popular staple too. For something different, try using iceberg leaves as a wrap for sauteed ground meats, Asian chicken strips or grilled vegetables. Chicago Tribune. Check for any visible dirt on it, and also, read the label. Romaine lettuce is healthier than iceberg lettuce.

Each serving of romaine lettuce contains 15 calories, while the iceberg variety has Romaine lettuce also has substantially more vitamins and minerals. When comparing the two varieties, romaine lettuce is the clear winner. Iceberg lettuce is arguably the most famous variety. It is believed that the Romans introduced lettuce to Great Britain, a variant of a plant that grew weed-like around the Mediterranean basin and its dried juices were used as a sleep aid by the Elizabethans, then later refined into lactucarium from wild lettuce plants and used throughout World War Two in hospitals as a sedative.

Speed and small leaves rule: it is harder to grow Icebergs on a balcony or small garden. The other advantage to growing your own lettuce is the avoidance of unnecessary waste: according to Love Food, Hate Waste the impact on the environment of throwing away lettuce is times greater than the pack it comes in.

The RHS Iceberg trial in at Wisley consisted of just 22 varieties and 4 of these Lakeland, Challenge, Robinson, and Sioux were in the and previous assessment trials. Neither resembles the iceberg visually and time will tell if supermarkets introduce these to their shelves. Although plenty of commentators have accused the Iceberg of being all about shelf life or appearance over taste, that is as true of other lettuce varieties, many of which lack its textural appeal.

With a slightly bitter lactic edge and a cool, clean and delicate taste, Iceberg has much to commend it alongside its ability to act as a sturdy carrier for some pretty strongly flavoured ingredients such as blue cheese, anchovies, and all kinds of vinegar. When I asked for fans to come forward, there were quite a few among well-known food writers and cooks who offered up some great suggestions for using it, both classic and left-field.

All about the crunch, innit. Too wet and too crunchy. But I am a bit of a salad dodger if honest… I am very fond of those soft round butterhead lettuce instead. For me any tendency towards letttucey aggression stems from its larger leaves which are greedy for plate space, providing shelter it would seem for a small child when left unshredded, akin to those Victorian photographs of infants standing underneath tropical vegetation. And therein the rub.

It has to be the cold tooth crackle of an iceberg leaf for me. And I do quite like it in a burger — the cold crunch against the hot meat. Jack Monroe is definite in her praise and offers up her usual offbeat take on culinary application, especially for those leftover leaves that tend to sulk unused at the bottom of the salad tray. After a visit to Lockhart London when it first opened, Henry raved over its deeply southern culinary aesthetic, courtesy of Mississippi born and bred chef, Brad McDonald.

Recipes such as this are infused with a strong element of nostalgia and they are also about simple ingredients that do not have to cost a lot. Buttermilk dressing has a similar lactic rime and the crunch of the lettuce served in a large hand-sized wedge, offsets that dairy creaminess perfectly: it gives the iceberg full permission to brag about its sturdy texture.

A riff off the classic BLT if you like, this would not work at all with any other lettuce. On the one hand, chefs like the fact that Iceberg is a completely neutral way to add crunch and filler to an otherwise flavorful medley of ingredients. So it appears that this classic salad will be sticking around on menus for a while. Last fall the San Francisco Chronicle ran a list of nearly a dozen upscale restaurants serving some variation on the wedge salad, including everything from croutons, to apple, walnuts, and avocado.

One Napa restaurant even serves it with the Iceberg frozen for extra crispness.