KITLIVING
recipe overleaf
Varieties will vary but for 100g (3.5oz)
of butterhead lettuce has 2g carbs, 13
cals and 1g of dietary fibre. It also has
97% of your recommended daily value
(DV) of vitamin K, 21% DV of vitamin A,
18% DV of your beta-carotene, 10% DV
folate, 10% DV iron, 9% DV manganese.
NUTRITION
of lettuce
L
ettuce was first cultivated
in ancient Egypt for the
production of oil from its
seeds as early as 2680
BC. Lettuce appears in
many medieval writings as a medicinal
herb. Lettuce has mild narcotic properties;
it was called 'sleepwort' by the AngloSaxons because of this, though the
modern cultivated L. sativa has lower
levels of the narcotic than its older, wilder
cousins.
Depending on the variety and time of
year, lettuce generally lives 65-130 days
from planting to harvesting. Because
lettuce that flowers becomes bitter, and
therefore unsaleable, plants grown for
consumption are rarely allowed to grow
to full maturity.
Between the late 16th century and the
early 18th century, many varieties were
developed in Europe, particularly Holland.
In 2015, world production of lettuce
(including chicory) was 26.1m tonnes,
with China alone producing 14.6m tonnes
(56% of the world total). Although China
is the top world producer of lettuce,
the majority of the crop is consumed
domestically, making Spain the world's
largest exporter of lettuce, with the US
ranking second. In the early 21st century,
bagged salad products increased in
the lettuce market, especially in the US
where innovative packaging and shipping
methods prolonged freshness.
The consumption of lettuce in China
developed differently from in Western
countries, due to health risks and cultural
aversion to eating raw leaves. In that
country, "salads" were created from
cooked vegetables and served hot or
cold. Lettuce was also used in a larger
variety of dishes than in Western countries,
contributing to a range of dishes including
tofu and meat dishes, soups as well as in
stirfries or just with other vegetables.
As described around 50AD, lettuce
leaves were often cooked and served
by the Romans with an oil-and-vinegar
dressing.
Stevie Parle writing for The Telegraph
described cooked lettuce, saying
"Different lettuces have different flavours:
escarole and radicchio can be pretty bitter
and need some acidity to make them
work; gem and butter lettuce are delicate
and sweet, though I sometimes think they
taste a little stronger when cooked. Even
rocket tastes good cooked, like a sort
of peppery spinach. Iceberg lettuce? To
my mind, not worth eating, either raw or
cooked."
For more recipes for cooking with
lettuce, see this article by Anna Jones
from The Guardian in May 2018.
Resources: Wikipedia
NUTRITION
of cucumber
Per 100g (3.5oz) cucumber has 4g
carbs, 16 cals, and 0.5g dietary fibre.
It also has 16% of your recommended
daily value (DV) of Vitamin K, 5% DV of
Vitamin B5, and 4% manganese.