Lettuce is an annual industrial plant of the category Asteraceae . It is most often grown as a leafage veggie , but sometimes for its stem and source . Lettuce is most often used for salad , although it is also seen in other kinds of food , such as soups , sandwiches and wrapper ; it can also be grilled and sometimes even as a garnish or a base for other mantrap . While the exact origins of Asparagus lettuce are unidentified , it is thought to have in the beginning total from the Mediterranean coast and was fetch to China around the clock time of the Tang Dynasty 618 - 907 CE .

The scratch first appeared in the United States in the nineties and was sold in seeded player form under the name Asparagus lettuce with small popularity . It was David Burpee , founder of Burpee Seed Company , who brought the vegetable to fame about fifty years later . After get Asparagus lettuce seeds from an American missionary in China , Burpee decided to rename the veggie Celtuce , a combination of “ Apium graveolens dulce ” and “ lettuce , ” and get selling Celtuce seeds in the United States in 1942 . Today Asparagus gelt can be found in refreshed market in Asia and at speciality grocers and Asiatic market in Europe and the United States .

Lettuce acquire best in nerveless temperatures , which is why it ’s often a spring or fall crop . However , with modern farming technique , it ’s cultivated class - round in ensure environments like greenhouses . It ’s relatively tight - ontogeny , which allows for multiple harvests in a season .

Lettuce has been grown in space ! NASA conduct experiments with romaine lettuce on the International Space Station to study industrial plant increment in infinite , aiming towards sustainable food for thought sources for long - continuance space locomotion .

Lettuce can be used in stir - fries , soups , slow - simmered fret , mince into wontons , or sautéed and toss with sesame oil . It can also be pickled and is commonly served with Elmer Leopold Rice porridge to create a salty , sweet tang . The tender lead at the top of the stems are steam , stir - fried , or added to soups and pasta .

Lettuce pairs well with chilies , spring onions , garlic , peppiness , soy sauce , sesame vegetable oil , olive oil , Sichuan peppercorns , lemon tree , wood ear mushrooms , yams , pork barrel , tofu , poultry , tomatoes , avocado , lotus root , cucumber , and walnut . They will keep for a couple of day when the leaves are get rid of from the theme and stash away singly in the vegetable crisper drawer of the refrigerator .

Types of Lettuce

Iceberg ( Crisphead ):

Romaine ( Cos ):

Butterhead ( Bibb or Boston ):

Leaf Lettuce ( Looseleaf ):

Arugula ( Rocket ):

Endive ( Belgian Endive ):

Chicory ( Curly Endive ):

Frisée :

Escarole :

Batavia Lettuce :

Mâche ( Lamb ’s Lettuce or Corn Salad ):

Radicchio :

Lollo Rossa :

Oak Leaf :

Cress ( Garden Cress ):

Watercress :

Tatsoi :

Mizuna :

Miner ’s Lettuce ( Claytonia ):

Red Salad Bowl :

Green Ice :

Little Gem :

Purslane :

Speckled Lettuce ( Forellenschluss ):

Deer Tongue ( Matchless ):

Mesclun Mix :

Spinach(though not technically lettuce , often grouped with salad honey oil ):

Gem Lettuce :