Oh, iceberg lettuce-the much maligned and much loved leafy green.
Iceberg lettuce, a variety of crisphead lettuce, has been an American favorite for almost 100 years. It was developed by the Burpee Seed company in 1894 and was grown commercially in California starting in the 1920's. In the early shipping days, the lettuce heads were packed in ice and looked like icebergs, thus the name. With its firm head, it was the only lettuce that could be shipped easily and was widely distributed over the US by the 1940's. Usually it was the only kind of lettuce that could be found at most grocery stores.
If truth be told, I prefer iceberg lettuce to the healthier (but more bitter tasting to me) varieties, and it is my guilty pleasure. I was happy that I had an excuse to buy it for this post. :)
Did you grow up eating iceberg lettuce? Do you eat it now?
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce
https://www.verywellfit.com/does-iceberg-lettuce-have-any-nutritional-value-2506266
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-07-04-0706290893-story.html
I didn't grow up eating iceberg lettuce, but, it is one of my favorites and is the kind I buy the most. :)
ReplyDeleteSince you know plants, did you know that lettuce is in the same family as sunflowers?
DeleteYes, they are both in the aster/daisy family (Asteraceae). Same as dandelions and a related plant called prickly lettuce. :)
DeleteI like to have an iceberg lettuce in my salad box in the fridge, but I also like Little Gem as a change
ReplyDeleteI was not familiar with Little Gem, so I looked it up. It says that's a cross between romaine and butter lettuce and it's easy to grow. I'll have to look into that.
DeleteIt seems like many veggies get a "bad" reputation. Potatoes also have been downplayed as a less healthy (or is that healthful? Hahaha ...) option. Both iceberg lettuce and potatoes are affordable for people to buy and if that's what is manageable in someone's budget, it's certainly a better option than, say, chips.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite lettuce mix is a spring mix. I do like iceberg lettuce, probably because of the mild flavor. I tend to purchase either that or spinach in the winter to satisfy my cravings for greens. Once our garden lettuce starts to produce, we have a variety of kinds of lettuce. Only my husband knows what they all are!
What a luxury we have these days that we can be picky about the kind of lettuce we eat. I get tired of food snobs who think the way they eat is the only way to eat. That's one of my pet peeves. Can you tell?
DeleteMe too! It's a relief to hear someone else say it. Also, I know iceberg lettuce is more appealing to my son than other stronger flavors of lettuce .... which makes me wonder if that's true for other kids. I'd rather have a child eat iceberg lettuce than refuse to eat any kind of greens.
DeleteI like Iceberg lettuce too. But don't tell! I feel like I'm smoking or something when I eat it.
ReplyDeleteYou're too funny. :)
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