There are many different kinds of lettuces and salad greens available in the produce section of today’s supermarkets or farm stands. The following is a list of the most popular salad greens available:
- Iceberg lettuce – The most popular salad ingredient. Firm, compact head with crisp, mild tasting, pale-green leaves. Valuable for it’s texture because it stays crisp longer than other lettuces. Keeps well in the refrigerator.
- Romaine lettuce – Elongated, loosely packed head with dark-green, coarse leaves. Crisp texture, with full, sweet flavor. Keeps well in refrigerator and is easy to handle. Essential for making Caesar salad. The center rib is often removed.
- Boston lettuce – Small, round heads with soft, fragile leaves. Deep green outside shading to nearly white inside. The leaves have a rich, mild flavor and delicate, buttery texture. Bruises easily and does not keep well.
- Bibb lettuce – Small and delicate, a whole head may be only a few inches across. Color ranges from dark green outside to creamy yellow at the core. It’s tenderness, delicate flavor, and high price make it a luxury item. Often served as an after dinner salad with a light vinaigrette.
- Loose leaf lettuce – Forms in bunches rather than heads. Soft, fragile leaves with curly edges. May be all green or with shades of red. Wilts easily and does not keep well, but is inexpensive and gives flavor, variety, and interest to mixed salads.
- Escarole lettuce – Broad thick leaves in bunches. Texture is coarse and slightly tough. Flavor is somewhat bitter so it’s best if you mix with sweeter greens and not alone. Often braised with olive oil and garlic and served as a vegetable.
- Chicory – Narrow, curly, twisted leaves with firm texture and bitter flavor. Outside leaves are dark green; core is yellow or white. Also best if served with other greens and not alone.
- Frisee lettuce – Basically the same plant as chicory except that it’s grown in a way that makes it more tender and less bitter. The leaves are pale yellow, slender, and feathery, with a distinct but mild taste.
- Chinese cabbage – Elongated, light green heads with broad, white center ribs. Comes in two forms; celery cabbage and napa cabbage. Tender but crisp with a mild cabbage flavor. Used extensively in Chinese cooking.
- Spinach – Small, tender baby spinach leaves are excellent salad greens, either alone or mixed with other greens. Must be washed thoroughly to remove dirt.
- Watercress – Mostly used as a garnish. Small, dark-green, oval leaves with a pungent, peppery flavor. Remove stems before serving.
- Arugula – Pungent, distinctly flavored greens, they are tender and perishable. Wash thoroughly also.
- Mesclun – A mixture of tender, various colored baby lettuce sold in bag mixtures.
- Radicchio – Red leafed variety of chicory, has creamy white ribs and comes in small round heads. It has a crunchy texture and very bitter flavor. Expensive but can add small pieces of color to salads.
- Dandelion greens – A familiar lawn ornament and now used in the kitchen. Only young, tender leaves can be used. It’s best in the spring.
