Types of leaf lettuce and their origin. Lettuce (leaf and head) - types and varieties, cultivation rules Vegetable salad

We have collected in our directory most of the fresh green salads that are offered in stores today. From it you will learn what taste this or that salad has, what to cook from it, how it combines with foods and other types of green and red salads.

Do you know how many varieties and hybrids of lettuce are grown in the world today? More than 1000. In Russia, this figure is an order of magnitude lower, and supermarkets usually offer no more than 10-12 types of salad - but new ones appear every year. So it’s not surprising that many of us sometimes stand at the counters at a loss. And the names of the salads don’t tell us anything.

There is still no single generally accepted classification of salads. Although you and I would hardly understand the scientific classification. Therefore, let’s just take into account that salads are green crops, that they have healing properties to one degree or another, are low in calories, contain many useful substances, which - since salads are usually eaten fresh and raw - are stored and go straight from the plate into our body .

Salads can be roughly divided into two categories: leafy and cabbage. In leafy ones, the leaves are usually collected in a bush, or rosette, which can be recumbent, raised or directed upward. In cabbages, of course, the leaves form a dense or loose head of cabbage.

In addition, you can divide salads into groups according to taste: crispy and soft, bitter, spicy and peppery.

We have collected in our directory most of the fresh green salads that are offered in stores today. From it you will learn what taste this or that salad has, what to cook from it, how it combines with foods and other types of green and red salads. For ease of searching, we talk about salads in alphabetical order.

Iceberg (ice salad, crisphead, ice mountain, ice salad)

The most purchased head lettuce in its homeland - the USA - is also popular here. Iceberg is a fairly dense round head of cabbage, weighing from 300 g to a kilogram. The leaves are large, light or bright green, juicy, crispy. Unlike most salads, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Iceberg is slightly sweet, does not have a strong taste, and therefore can be combined with any sauces (especially sour cream) and dishes. It is used in salads, as a side dish for meat, fish, seafood, and on sandwiches and snacks. You can make cabbage rolls with them - use blanched lettuce leaves instead of cabbage leaves. And also - given that the dense leaves hold their shape well - serve the prepared salad in them.

Some believe that you should not mix other types of salads with it - they will drown out the taste of Iceberg. Others, on the contrary, value Iceberg precisely because it has almost no taste and is easy to mix with almost any salad.

When choosing Iceberg lettuce, we pay attention to its density: if it seems empty inside, it means it has not had time to ripen, and if it is dense, like winter white cabbage, it means it was too late to remove it from the garden in time. Of course, we don’t take heads of cabbage with limp and yellowed leaves. It is better to store Iceberg by wrapping it in a damp cloth and putting it in a bag.

Recently, a new Iceberg variety has begun to appear in some places - red ice lettuce.

Batavia

This is the variety of the best-selling leaf lettuce in our country. Those. not one variety, but several, united by similar properties. True, some are inclined to consider it head lettuce, because it has signs of both. But that doesn't matter to us.

Look at the photo - we are familiar with this salad. It includes hybrids of Russian and foreign selection and is sold under the names Leafly, Grand Rapid Ritsa, Risotto, Greeni, Starfighter, Fanly, Funtime, Aficion, Lancelot, Perel Jam, Bohemia, Orpheus, Geyser, Baston, Dachny, Yeralash, Large-headed, Prazhan and others.

These leaf lettuces usually have a large, semi-spreading rosette with leaves wavy along the edges. The salad is crispy and tasty. We use Batavia varieties to create various salads, sandwiches and constantly to decorate many dishes, placing meat, fish, vegetables, etc. on its decorative leaves. Salads like Batavia have a slightly sweet taste; it goes extremely well with meat, especially fatty meat and walnuts.

The leaves of Batavia in most varieties are green, but there are also types with red-brown. Recently, the red-headed Batavia has become increasingly popular because its leaves are more tender than the green ones.

Butterhead

In Europe, Butterhead is perhaps the best known of the buttery head lettuces (see Butterhead lettuce below). Why? Firstly, Butterhead has a soft, delicate taste, and secondly, it is one of the most inexpensive salads. Butterhead's tender leaves form a small head, the outer leaves of which may taste bitter. And the core of the head of cabbage is crispy.

One medium head of lettuce yields approximately 250 g of finished leaves. You can cook Butterhead with a suitable dressing - by the way, it relieves fatigue well. Can be mixed with other salads or garnished with dishes. Butterhead perfectly complements sandwiches; it can be used when making rolls at home - instead of strips of nori.

Witloof (salad chicory, Belgian or French endive)

One of the types of endive salads (see below), very popular in Europe and not so popular here. It is grown in two stages: in the summer, the root crops ripen, and in the winter, small dense heads of cabbage, elongated and pointed, weighing approximately 50-70 g are driven out of them - which is Witloof salad.

The pale yellow or white color of lettuce leaves is due to the fact that the heads grow in the dark. And the lighter the color, the less bitterness there is in the leaves. No wonder Witloof is translated from Flemish as a white sheet.

The leaves are juicy and crispy. Witloof is prepared in different ways - boiled, stewed, fried, baked, but the healthiest thing is to eat it raw. For salads, you can cut the heads of cabbage lengthwise, crosswise, or disassemble into leaves. And to eliminate bitterness - if necessary - the leaves are washed for 15-20 minutes in lukewarm water, or dipped in boiling water for 1 minute, or soaked in salted cold water for 2-3 hours.

When cooked, the bitterness practically disappears.

Note: the bitterness is concentrated mainly in the compacted bottom of Witloof heads. The bottom can simply be cut out.

By the way, quite a long time ago, domestic breeders developed an early ripening variety of witloof called “Cone”. The heads of cabbage have almost no bitterness and weigh approximately 100 g.

From the moment of cutting, Witloof heads retain their taste when kept cool for up to 3 weeks.

(watercress, spring cress, spring cress, water horseradish, brunette cress).

The offered varieties are Portuguese, Improved, Shirokolistny, Podmoskovny. Not to be confused with garden cress (see below).

Watercress greens - leaves and tops of young shoots - are distinguished by a sharp mustard taste. Therefore, watercress is both a salad and a spicy seasoning. Can be used for salads, sandwiches, soups, omelettes. Great - chop coarsely, season to taste and serve with meat, game or fish. Even ordinary potatoes, seasoned with watercress (like garden cress), acquire a piquant taste.

Watercress should not be crushed, otherwise the greens will become more bitter and the aroma will decrease. Small leaves are appropriate in any salad as a whole. And it practically does not combine with other herbs.
Watercress greens do not stay fresh for very long, so they should be used immediately after purchase.

(oak, oakleaf, Red oak leaf from English - “Red oak leaf”).

There is no need to guess why it was given such a name: its leaves are very similar to oak leaves. Extremely attractive leaves of green-red flowers and their shades.

Oakleaf is one of the brightest salads, both in color and in its recognizable rich taste with a delicate nutty hue.

The most famous varieties are Amorix, Asterix, Maserati, Dubrava, Zabava, Credo, Dubachek.

So that the taste of Oakleaf is not lost, it is better to accompany it with salads and dishes where there are no other dominant tastes. Oakleaf is good to add to dishes of champignons, avocado, smoked salmon, hot salads, appetizers, and some desserts. It gives croutons and croutons a new taste; it gets along well with garlic and chopped almonds. It makes an excellent side dish for fried fish.

All sauces made from vegetable oil, vinegar and salt are suitable for dressing. So you shouldn’t drown out the delicate taste of Oak salad with thick, heavy and spicy dressings and sauces. But using decorative leaves to decorate salads is highly recommended

Oak lettuce practically cannot withstand storage for more than a few hours - its leaves are very sensitive to temperature changes.

(pak choy, mustard cabbage, petiole cabbage)

Not to be confused with Chinese cabbage (see below).

Chinese cabbage is represented by two types - white-petiolate and green-petiolate. Dense dark green leaves are arranged in the form of a compact rosette on light, thick, juicy and fleshy petioles. The taste of the leaves is slightly bitter, tender, fresh and strongly reminiscent of the taste of spinach. In Europe, its leaves are prepared like spinach - chopped, stewed a little and served as a side dish for meat. And the petioles are steamed, like asparagus.

Chinese cabbage is very healthy when eaten fresh and is valued for its high content of the amino acid lysine, which helps cleanse the blood. It makes good salads, in particular the famous delicious kim chi salad. It can be boiled, stewed, canned, dried, used as an independent dish or side dish.

When purchasing, be careful: if the petioles seem to be covered with mucus and the leaves are soft, this is, to put it mildly, stale cabbage.

Corn (field lettuce, lamb grass, corn salad)

Corn is small dark green leaves collected in “roses”. The tender leaves have an equally delicate aroma and a sweetish-nutty taste, the spicy note of which is not immediately felt. The ancients considered corn to be an aphrodisiac.

The best dressing for corn is olive oil, which brings out the flavor of the salad. The taste of the root will not be lost in the company of any products and other types of green salads. A great pairing for corn is endive salad. And also - crispy fried bacon slices, croutons, citrus fruits, onions and especially nuts. And in some countries, corn is served with lingonberry sauce.

Corn stays fresh in the refrigerator for about three days.

(garden cress, fever grass, garden pepper grass, horseradish, grass bug)

Long known for its healing properties, the salad contains mustard oil in its small leaves, which gives it a pungent taste, similar to the taste of horseradish. Therefore, watercress is also a spicy seasoning. It is worth noting that watercress is the leader among salads in terms of the amount of vitamins and microelements it contains.

Fresh watercress is widely used in cooking. An excellent ingredient for any salad mix, capable of adding bright taste and sophistication to the most faceless salad; seasoning for meat, decoration for any dish.

Cress leaves are an excellent side dish for chops and game. It makes an appetizing green butter for sandwiches; it adds a piquant taste to canapés, cheese and curd snacks and salads. Watercress is added to cold soups, sauces and fillings are prepared with it.

During heat treatment, of course, some of the beneficial substances are lost, but the very noticeable peppery taste becomes softer, and watercress can be added as a not too spicy seasoning to soups, broths, and vegetable purees.

Watercress, like watercress, should not be chopped, otherwise the greens will become more bitter and the aroma will decrease. And it also practically does not combine with other herbs.
Even freshly cut watercress can be stored in the refrigerator (in a glass of water) for no longer than a few days. So it’s not worth storing it for future use.

lettuce

One of the oldest salads on the planet and our good old friend. Lettuce has at least 100 varieties, differing in color, size and leaf configuration. There are varieties of lettuce with leaves forming loose rosettes, and others with more or less dense heads.

Lettuce has never had a distinct taste; its leaves are rather bland and do not contain bitter or sour substances. Therefore, lettuce is an ideal companion for salads with a more pronounced taste and any fresh vegetables.

Lettuce is put into sandwiches, fillings (stuffed cabbage rolls, etc.) are wrapped in blanched leaves, and creamy and creamy soups are also cooked. You can use lettuce leaves as a “lining” on which to lay out any salad. But you shouldn’t put hot meat or fish on it - a thin sheet will quickly lose its attractiveness.

When planning to use lettuce in a salad, first soak it in cold water for about 20 minutes so that it is juicy and retains this juiciness.

If we bought the salad fresh, it will be stored in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.

Lollo Rossa

One of the most popular and most beautiful salads. Available in several varieties, the most popular are Lollo Rossa (red-leaved) and Lollo Bionda (green). Lollo Rossa is also often called coral salad. In addition to these two, there are also varieties Mercury, Barbados, Revolution, Pentared, Relay, Nika, Eurydice, Majestic, etc.

The Italian bright curly beauty is a relative of our old friend lettuce. Lollo Rossa has an intense, slightly bitter, nutty flavor. Green Lollo Bionda has a more delicate taste.

The leaves are quite soft and add volume to salads. Lollo Rossa is good on its own - there are plenty of recipes with it - and mixed with spicy salads. The salad goes well with hot appetizers, sauces, baked vegetables and is very suitable for fried meat. Not to mention the rare decorative nature of the leaves, which can decorate any dish.

When choosing a salad, first of all we look at the color - Lollo Rossa should not be completely dark red - this is an overripe salad. Fresh salad can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days. And, so as not to spoil during this time, after purchasing, we carefully sort out and fold (not wash!) the leaves, wrap them in a damp cloth and put them in the refrigerator. The salad will spoil faster in a bag.

Chard

Swiss chard is a relative of spinach - and similar to it. Chard is grown as a green plant. It was well known back in the days of Ancient Greece and Rome and was then called “Roman cabbage”.

Unlike regular beets, chard's leaves and stems are edible. There are two main types of chard: stem (veined) and deciduous (schnitt chard, chard, romaine), and in addition there are numerous varieties that differ in the color of the stems (whitish, yellow, light and dark green, orange, pink, etc.), as well as the shape of the leaves - they can be smooth or bubbly-curly.

The leaves are used fresh or boiled for salads, sauces, and beetroot soups. The taste is similar to spinach - soft, sweetish.

Petioles (stems) - used in the same way as asparagus or cauliflower, boiled or stewed to make salads and soups.

When buying chard, we check that the leaves and stems are not damaged. In addition, they must look fresh. Chard will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Let's take note: quickly boiled stems and leaves can be frozen and stored in this form for a long time.
Creative housewives stew chard alone or with other vegetables, make cutlets and casseroles with cottage cheese, stuffing for pies, cook soup, serve it as a side dish for fish... in short, there are a lot of options.

This is also a variety of head lettuce - i.e. not one variety, but several similar ones: Berlin yellow, Festival, Noran, Kado, Podmoskovye, Sesame, Attraction, Stubborn, Contribution, Libuza, Russian size, May Queen, Pervomaisky, Maikonig, White Boston, Cassini, etc., - the leaves of which can be soft green or with a reddish tint.

We talked about the most popular of these salads - Butterhead - above. These varieties are called oily because the smooth leaves feel oily to the touch - they contain a lot of fat-soluble vitamin E. In ancient times, such salads were grown for the sake of oil.

Butter lettuce leaves are tender, juicy, with a slightly sweet aftertaste. They are not cut - they are only torn by hand. And experts recommend removing the outer leaves of the head of cabbage and thick petioles. The leaves are good in combinations with other green salads.

When buying an oily salad, be sure to look at the date - these salads do not tolerate long-term storage, and the amount of nitrates in them increases sharply.

Mesclun

From the French Mesclun - mixture. This is not a lettuce variety - it is a mixture of young leaves of several lettuces and aromatic herbs. The composition may vary. Mesclun is sold in bags of different weights, the mixture is ready for use and does not even need washing.

Mitsuna

Leaf lettuce, popular in its homeland - Japan - and other countries, has recently appeared in our country and is not familiar to many people. Pepper salad with unusually shaped leaves - with sharp, seemingly chaotically cut edges.
Mitsuna is a very aromatic salad with a mild peppery taste. Most often it is used in a mixture with other salads. Mitsuna reveals, enhances the aroma and taste of the salad mix to which it is added, enriches its nutritional value. Some recipes call for frying in a wok.

Novita

It really is Novita! That is, the salad is so new to us that there is no information about it on the Internet yet. We only know that this is a Dutch variety of lettuce. We were able to find a photo of it on the website of a Turkish company that produces and sells seeds of various plants. Even in the photo you can see that its leaves are tender. But this is all the information about Novita salad for now.

Night violet (vechernitsa, hesperis)

This flower, of course, does not belong to salad plants, but young violet leaves are also edible and are used to make salads. These leaves are especially loved in Italy. They taste pungent, to some it resembles pepper, to others it resembles horseradish. Night violet is part of Italian and French mesclans (see mesclun above).

In Italy, night violet is often mixed with endive salads, resulting in not only a tasty and piquant, but also a very picturesque salad. Night violet leaves are used to make pesto. Some dishes, such as carpaccio, are decorated with fragrant violets.

Fans of growing violets also make salads from young cuttings of garden violets, seasoning them with salt and pepper, mayonnaise or vinegar, and citric acid.

It remains to be said that it is worth washing the leaves of the night violet properly - they often contain sand, and that this greenery withers very quickly

Palla Rossa

Another variety of red-headed endive (see below), which differs from other headed endives in that it produces an early harvest. Palla Rossa are small heads of cabbage weighing up to 200-300 g,

Palla Rossa has dark red leaves with white edges that are crisp and juicy. It has a pleasant taste with a hint of bitterness. It is used in the same way as other endive salads, but most of all - fresh. And, of course, for decorating various dishes.

Chinese cabbage(Petsai, cabbage)

An oblong loose head of tender and rather juicy leaves. There are also half-headed and leafy Chinese cabbage. It is valued mainly for its low cost and fairly long shelf life, during which the Peking fruit does not lose anything from its rich set of vitamins and microelements. And it is also loved by those for whom low-calorie diets are almost a way of life.

The taste of Chinese cabbage is delicate and pleasant; you can use it to prepare a variety of salads, cook soups and borscht, and add it to sandwiches. It can be salted and pickled. True, experts do not recommend combining Chinese cabbage with elite varieties of salads, such as radicchio or arugula: it is believed that Chinese cabbage simplifies the taste of the dish.

When choosing Chinese cabbage, we put aside the yellowed and large long heads of cabbage, which may turn out to be bitter and not very pleasant to the taste; the best size is 25-30 cm.

(rapunzel, feldsalat, valerianella vegetable, corn salad)

The name of this lettuce recalls its distant past, when it was a ubiquitous weed. Today, field salad is known and loved in all cuisines and grown in vegetable gardens and plantations.

Its bright, small, delicate leaves, collected in small rosettes, have a mild nutty flavor and a subtle hazelnut aroma. It’s not for nothing that in Switzerland they call it “walnut salad.” And in Germany, where it is very popular, they simply call it feldsalat - which in translation is field salad. There are many varieties of field lettuce; some of them even use their young roots as food, like radishes.

Field salad is good on its own - with different seasonings (vinegar, vegetable oil, lemon juice, sour cream or mayonnaise - your choice). Excellent partners for such a salad are smoked trout, bacon, poultry, stewed mushrooms, boiled beets, and nuts.

In many countries it is used as a side dish for meat and fish dishes. Sometimes used in soups or cooked like spinach. This salad makes a fragrant pesto sauce, or another option is a yogurt sauce with pureed lettuce leaves. Field salad is also good in green mixed salads.

Field lettuce retains its freshness for several days. To prevent the salad from losing moisture, and therefore juiciness, we store it in a bag and keep it cool.

Radicchio (radicchio, radicchio)

In creating this endive salad (see below for endives), nature mixed shades on its palette from white to light red and dark burgundy. Depending on the variety, the color may vary slightly, but all types of Radicchio are very impressive. It is not without reason that in his homeland, Italy, he received the poetic nickname - “the winter flower of Italian cuisine.”

For some reason, we often confuse Radicchio with Radicchio (see below), which also refers to red endive salads. Radicchio is grown in different areas of northern Italy, and each of them has its own subtype of lettuce, slightly different in appearance and taste. Radicchio has few leaves or almost no leaves - but what picturesque, succulent stems!

Just brush the radicchio with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, fry it on the grill or grill pan - and you get a wonderful side dish for fish and meat. And the bitterness characteristic of all chicories will only emphasize and highlight the taste of the dish.

Radicchio is a good companion for a mix with green salads, salads with fish, seafood, fruits, they prepare risotto, pasta with it, add it to poultry dishes... in a word, there is always a use for it. You can store it for several days.

Radicchio (radiccio, radicchio, radiscio; red chicory, Italian chicory)

The red-leaved variety of lettuce chicory, already well known among us (see below), comes from Italy. To achieve such a juicy purple-violet color, the heads of cabbage are protected from sunlight at a certain time and frozen, as a result of which not chlorophyll, but purple pigment accumulates in the leaves. Which not only gives color, but is also a strong antioxidant.

Less known among us is that radicchio is grown in a wide variety of varieties and leaf colors. But it’s enough for us to know that winter lettuce varieties are less bitter than summer ones.

Because of its bitter-spicy taste, Radicchio is usually added to mixed salads and mixed vegetables in small quantities, but it goes well with spicy herbs. Sauces and dressings based on mayonnaise or dressings with honey or fruit juice help to dull the bitterness. In Italy, they like to fry Radicchio leaves in olive oil, just like we fry cabbage - this removes the bitterness.

Radicchio is used to make risotto, it is stewed and grilled. It is a good partner for onions, garlic and thyme.

Note: light, yellow-green varieties of Radicchio are suitable almost only for salad.

The leaves hold their shape remarkably well, which is why they are sometimes used as original “salad bowls”. And just a few pieces of bright leaves not only make the taste of the dish more piquant, but also decorate any salad.

Radicchio can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks. If we see that the upper leaves have withered, those behind them usually still retain their juiciness and taste.

Romaine (romaine, romaine, romaine, cos lettuce, cos, roman lettuce)

A crispy, delicious salad, also from Italy, one of the most ancient. Romaine has been crossed so many times - and continues to do so - with different leaf and head lettuces that many new types have arisen.

It does not belong to either head or leaf lettuce - but occupies an intermediate position between them. So, if we see the names Xanadu, Remus, Wendel, Manavert, Pinocio, Dandy, Mishugka, Parisian Green, Salanova, Kosberg, etc. - These are hybrids of Romaine lettuce.

Romaine leaves are long, thick, dense, strong, juicy, dark green and green in color. Closer to the middle of a loose head or rosette, the leaves lighten and become more tender. The salad has a tart, slightly spicy and slightly sweetish-nutty taste that will never go away when combined with the leaves of other salads.

Romaine is delicious on its own, especially with a tangy yogurt dressing. It is often used in sandwiches and hamburgers, and in mixed salads. And if we are going to prepare a Caesar salad, then using Romaine leaves in it is a recognized classic.
Lettuce leaves are also added to puree soup or vegetable sauté. In these cases, the taste of Romaine is close to the taste of asparagus.

The average weight of heads of cabbage is 300 g. The salad is stored in the refrigerator - like Iceberg - for 2-3 weeks.

Arugula (arugula, arugula; Eruka, indau, rocket, arugula, caterpillar, rukola)

This small plant is said to be the best friend of a girl who is losing weight, because no salad helps improve metabolism like this. Since ancient times, men have believed arugula to be an aphrodisiac. Most salads can only envy the current popularity of arugula in our country.

It belongs to the cruciferous family, is closely related to dandelion, and has thin stems with grayish-green leaves of an unusual shape. These leaves are charged with a peculiar spicy aroma and a piquant mustard-nut-pepper taste. It also differs in that it grows not in a rosette or in a bunch, but in separate stems.

The taste of arugula goes perfectly with other popular Mediterranean products - olive oil and balsamic vinegar, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan. It is added to salads, pasta, risotto, and pesto is made with arugula. You can make the perfect side dish by simply heating arugula for a couple of minutes in a frying pan along with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Arugula is used for appetizers, okroshka, cottage cheese dressing, and soups. Its taste goes well with meat, fish and seafood. It is also used as a spicy seasoning for pickling.

When choosing arugula, do not reach for long plants - it is best if the length together with the stem is 9-15 cm. It is better to use only the leaves - the stem is more bitter. Tender leaves of arugula quickly wither - so there is no question of a long shelf life.

Asparagus (asparagus)

The ever-popular asparagus comes in two varieties - white (which is more tender) and green. It is believed that the thicker the asparagus stalk, the better, more aromatic - and more expensive, by the way.

Asparagus is cooked by steaming or in salted water. Usually the stems are cleaned - from the middle of the heads down - and the woody ends are cut off. The classic way to serve asparagus is with hot melted butter or hollandaise sauce.
Asparagus is served as a side dish, baked with sauce or cheese, or with other vegetables, baked into pancakes, etc.

When choosing asparagus, we give preference to dense, well-formed stems. Asparagus can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but stored loosely and not tied into bunches. It can be frozen, but after that it can only be used for preparing hot dishes.

(Uysun)

This stem lettuce is little known among us, although it has been grown in the Far East for a long time. Uysun asparagus salad is very popular in East Asian countries.

Uysun is a thickened long stem, abundantly covered with bright long leaves. The stem can grow up to 120 cm and is as thick as an arm. It fully possesses all the valuable qualities of lettuce.

Both the leaves and stem of asparagus lettuce are used. The leaves are only suitable when fresh, tender and sweetish; they go well in salads with cucumbers, radishes, eggs and onions. The stems are prepared both raw and - which is much tastier - boiled and fried. And also - Uysun is salted as a reserve.
Uysun stems are juicy and tender, many consider them a delicacy. Boiled stems taste similar to asparagus.

Note: the nutritional value of asparagus lettuce leaves is 4 times higher than that of head lettuce.
Asparagus salad is perfectly absorbed by the human body, and it helps better digestion of meat, fish and other products.

Frisse (frisse, curly endive, curly chicory)

Frize means curly in French. It has narrow curly leaves, light green around the circumference and white-yellowish in the center. Previously, in order to obtain this delicate light center without unnecessary bitterness, frisée, like some other endive salads, was tied or covered, depriving access to light.

Self-bleaching varieties have now been developed that do not require tying. Frize is a curly variety of endive (see below). Frieze is about the same size as a head of lettuce.

Frize is increasingly gaining popularity in our country. This is due to its taste with a special slight bitterness, its beneficial properties, and, last but not least, the decorative nature of the salad.

Fresh frise is rarely used in splendid isolation, usually in mixed salads, to which it adds a piquant bitterness and beauty. It goes well with other leafy salads, arugula, garlic, and thyme.

The ticklingly spicy bitterness of frisee organically complements the taste of fish and shrimp, meat snacks, soft cheese and citrus fruits. Frisée is the perfect companion for crispy, crispy bacon.

When choosing Frize salad, pay attention to the inner light leaves - they should be fresh, the green outer leaves - not limp and tightly fitting. Before cooking, wash the salad well. If some leaves are long, divide them in half. We use small leaves whole.

The history of domestication of wild chicory began in the 17th century in Holland - its roots were grown to replace expensive coffee. Later they began to use the above-ground parts of plants. This is how endive salads appeared, the different types of which have one thing in common: they are bitter to one degree or another. But very tasty and healthy.

The following varieties are grown as salad varieties: endive, its varieties escarole and frisee, as well as witloof, radicchio, radicchio and frisee.

Endive and escarole (escarole) are twin brothers in their properties, and their difference is only external. Escarole is a type of endive.

Endive is a powerful rosette of rather long, rugged, wavy-curly basal leaves.

Escarole is distinguished by wide, rounded petiolate leaves.

Frize - has a mass of narrow curly leaves, light green around the circumference and white-yellowish - the most delicate and almost not bitter - in the center. It is also a type of endive.

Witloof - almost white, strong heads of cabbage, driven out in the absence of light from root crops grown in the summer (see details above).

Radicchio is a salad of very impressive appearance, which has almost no leaves, but has luxurious juicy stems; refers to red endive salads (see above).

Radicchio is also a red chicory lettuce, which is grown using a special technology, which provides the heads of Radicchio with such a rich color (see above).

Spinach

This type of salad greens has been known for a long time and is popular in all cuisines of the world.
It grows in rosettes containing 8-12 leaves, depending on the variety - flat or wrinkled, round or oval.

Spinach leaves are tender and juicy, rich green in color. Winter varieties have larger leaves that are darker in color than summer varieties.

Spinach consists of 91.4% water, and has a so-called “negative” calorie content, i.e. our body spends more energy digesting spinach than it receives from it

Tender and juicy spinach leaves have a pleasant, sweetish taste. It is best to use it, like green salads in general, fresh, but spinach is also good boiled, especially since it contains a lot of protein and vitamins that are not lost during heat treatment.

We use young spinach with spicy sweet and sour sauces that go well with it, add it to salads, and older leaves can be blanched and pureed. You can simmer spinach in vegetable oil with pine nuts - and it will be an excellent addition to pasta and any cereals. Spinach is used to make soups, casseroles, omelettes... and much more.

When purchasing, we choose spinach with lighter leaves on thin stems - they are younger and therefore more tender. Winter varieties should have strong leaves and a fresh smell. We rinse thoroughly - there is sand in the spinach rosettes.

Spinach in a plastic bag can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. But after 2-3 days there are practically no vitamins in it.

The French savored sorrel with pleasure back in the 12th century. And in Russia they began to use it a little more than 100 years ago. But they appreciated it, and now sorrel is no longer used. And in salads, and in soups, and in the form of fillings, etc.

Sorrel is an excellent component for green mixed salads, especially in company with lettuce and wild garlic.

It is rarely found in stores, but in markets in the spring and later - please. It’s better to use it right away - otherwise the vitamins and appearance are lost. But it can withstand a day or two in the refrigerator.

Endive and Escarole(escarole)

Endive is one of the main types of endive (or endive). Escarole is a type of endive.

We are talking about these two salads together because they are almost identical in their characteristics and differ only in appearance. Endive has a powerful rosette of rather long, rugged, wavy-curly basal leaves, and Escarole has wide, rounded petiolate leaves.

Both salads have colors ranging from light green-yellow to dark green.

Endive, once long forgotten, has become more popular in recent decades - it has become known that it contains a high content of vitamin C. And natural vitamin C is the best at boosting immunity.

In addition, endive and escarole contain inulin, an easily digestible carbohydrate that is extremely useful for diabetics and those who need dietary nutrition.

Juicy, tender and tasty endive and escarole salads, of course, have a bitter aftertaste characteristic of endive salads.

To eliminate excess bitterness, endive and escarole are tied several weeks before harvesting, raising the outer leaves, blocking the access of light, due to which the delicate light centers of the salads are formed. But science is moving forward - self-bleaching varieties appeared not so long ago.

You can eat these light salad leaves, seasoning them with citrus juice to reduce bitterness. But more often, endive and escarole are added to mixed green salads. These salads are also good with pineapples, peaches, and pears, the sweetness of which neutralizes the bitterness of chicory.

You can eat unbleached leaves, but it is better to blanch them to remove excess bitterness. These leaves are also stewed, and then they become a side dish for main courses.

Endive and escarole will keep in the refrigerator, like other leafy lettuces, for 2-4 days.

• We carefully inspect the salad before purchasing. Wormholes, mold, holes and growths are evidence of disease. If the top leaves are good and fresh, then the whole salad is good. And, of course, we don’t take limp, yellowed specimens.
• Headed lettuces are best stored whole. Sort the leaves, separate the leaves, fold them carefully, wrap them in a damp cloth and put them in the refrigerator. And if you don't wash them, they will rot.
• To refresh greens after storing them in the refrigerator, dip them in ice water for a few minutes, shake them and let them dry.
• You can't tell from the salad whether it contains a lot of nitrates. But it’s better to be on the safe side: before cooking, put the salad in cold water for an hour, and most of the unhealthy substances will go away.
• You shouldn’t expose salads to sunlight even for a few minutes - the vitamin C we need so much will simply disappear.
• Using a knife, you can only cut off unnecessary parts of green salads. We do the rest by hand.
• Season the salad before serving - otherwise it will become soggy and wilt.
• Salads love vegetable oil, olive oil is best. Especially tender lettuce leaves.
• You shouldn’t go overboard with the spices, otherwise you’ll kill the flavor of the salad itself.
• It is preferable to use mayonnaise that does not contain vinegar, which means your own.
• A serving of salad weighing 50 g is usually enough for one eater.
• And “for starters” - information specifically for the fairer sex. French women love to take baths with salad because they know it is an excellent remedy for healthy and nourished skin. This is done simply. The bath is filled with water at body temperature, i.e. 36.6, a lot of different lettuce leaves are placed in it. 15 - 20 minutes in such a bath - and the skin, as they say, simply glows.

The history of salads begins with the first salads, which, as far as we know, were invented by the Romans even before the birth of Christ in an era of abundance, free slave labor and grand multi-day feasts. At Roman feasts, it was customary to serve dishes made from herbs and vegetables, seasoned with honey, salt and vinegar. The word salato or salata (salty) meant “dish with dressing.” Typically the salad consisted of lettuce, endive, and onion, dressed with olive oil, honey and vinegar, and served with meat. Therefore, the origin of the salad from the name of the vegetable of the same name is incorrect. Just lettuce, that is, lettuce, the leaves of which were an indispensable ingredient in any Roman salad and received its name from the name of the dish.

The Dark Middle Ages erased possible dozens of wonderful recipes from cooking; for a whole millennium, the Roman salad remained unchanged, although some variations were still allowed. For example, cheese, mint and parsley appeared in the salad.

The new history of salad begins in the Renaissance. Food becomes elegant and varied, new products, varieties of wine, and strict rules of etiquette appear. Salad becomes a must-have addition to the festive table. Salads were made most actively in France: they experimented with vegetables and herbs, mixed different types of lettuce, cheese, and added fresh cucumbers, artichokes and asparagus. The entire 17th century was spent experimenting with ingredients, and by the 18th century, not only land vegetables, but also root vegetables began to appear in salads. The French selected appropriate dressings for delicate, balanced salads. Wine, fine vinegars, lemon juice were used; olive oil and salt were almost obligatory. An interesting innovation has appeared - crushed aromatic herbs and spices.

The history of salads before the 19th century consisted exclusively of fresh vegetables, herbs, roots and fruits. In the 19th century, meat components, boiled vegetables and root vegetables, as well as salted, pickled and other products appeared in the salad. Finally, in the 19th century, boiled eggs appeared in salads. Subsequently, it is eggs that will become the basis for any Soviet salad. The end of the 19th century can be considered the beginning of the era of mayonnaise dressing. Mayonnaise was previously served with some dishes and salads, but only in Russia was this sauce mixed with salads. Numerous restaurants tried to please the public and prepared a wide variety of salads specially “for mayonnaise.” Presumably, mayonnaise was first mixed with salad by Monsieur Olivier, who initially used mayonnaise as a separate sauce for his dish. Regulars of the restaurant where Lucien Olivier worked mixed carefully arranged ingredients with the sauce, turning it into a completely modern-looking salad. To please clients who are always right, the French chef himself began mixing mayonnaise with salad, which gave impetus to a whole trend in modern Russian cooking and it cannot be said that this is the best thing that could be borrowed from French cuisine.

In the 20th century, all types of meat, fish, mushrooms, canned beans and corn, and all types of fruits were already included in salads. Salad ceases to be an auxiliary dish or appetizer, it becomes an independent dish. For example, Olivier or Stolichny salad can replace all dishes on the holiday table. If in the 19th century fish and similar products were introduced into salads with caution (Olivier at the end of the 19th century contained pressed caviar and crayfish necks), then in the 20th century all types of seafood were included in salads: shrimp, lobsters, squid, shellfish.

In Soviet Russia, salads were a sign of chic, a holiday, an element of bourgeois life. As a symbol of a good, well-fed life, salads from restaurant cuisine moved into the homes of ordinary citizens, changing and simplifying many times. In Soviet salads, sausage, green peas, canned fish, processed cheese, and crab sticks appear, and at the same time fresh lettuce leaves practically disappear. The main dressing is mayonnaise and sunflower oil. But this is already a sad story of salads of the Soviet and post-Soviet times, and in the world everything is much more diverse and not at all so simple.

Add to bookmarks:

Salad (lettuce, lettuce)(Lactuca sativa L.) is an annual plant of the aster family (Asteraceae), a green vegetable crop. One of the oldest cultivated plants in the Mediterranean region. The ancestor of the cultivated lettuce is considered to be compass lettuce (Lactuca serriola Torner.), which grows wild in Western and Southern Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The history of salad culture goes back a long way. Scientists, while studying the Egyptian pyramids, discovered lettuce plants on the paintings. From the reports of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus it is known that already around 550 BC. salad was served to the table of the Persian kings, and during the reign of Kambez, salad at his palace was considered a valuable delicacy. The exact time when lettuce appeared in Europe is not known exactly, but it is certain that the Greeks adopted the lettuce culture from the Egyptians. In Ancient Greece, lettuce was used both as a vegetable and for medicinal purposes. Lettuce is mentioned in the works of Hippocrates, Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Dioscorides. The Romans consumed it as a dessert and later, from the time of Domitian, as an appetite-stimulating snack. During the time of Emperor Augustus, the salad was not only consumed fresh, it was pickled with honey and vinegar, and preserved as green beans. The Arabs in Spain (VIII-IX centuries), in addition to head lettuce, also had summer endive. Lettuce was brought to France by the papal gardener (in Avignon) in the 14th century. (hence its name romaine, or Roman), has gained recognition and is widely cultivated to this day. Forcing lettuce was first started by the gardener of King Louis XIV (around 1700), who served the lettuce to the king's table in January.

Romaine in greenhouses began in 1700 in the districts of Paris, while head lettuce in greenhouses began to be grown only in 1812. The appearance of head lettuce is the result of the breeding activity of medieval monks, who, growing lettuce in their monastery gardens, paid special attention to the density of the head of lettuce. attention. In East Asian countries, the most common types of lettuce are asparagus, leaf and pickled lettuce. The first information about the use of asparagus salad in China dates back to 600-900. In Japan, the first description dates back to the 10th century. For a long time, lettuce was grown in Japan only to decorate dishes.

Vegetables became known to the Slavs since the adoption of Christianity, when Greek preachers introduced their cultivation following the example of the Greeks and Romans. The chronicles indicate a number of vegetables being grown, which were apparently imported from Byzantium. Salad is not mentioned among them. A. Olearius, in his Description of a trip to Muscovy (17th century), reported: “The Russians did not plant lettuce and other salad plants, much less eat them, they even laughed at the Germans who consumed the grass, then some Russians began to try the salad. Historians describe an episode about Golovin being forced to eat salad and drink vinegar at a court dinner with Peter I.

Industrial cultivation of lettuce in Russia began in the mid-19th century. Currently, lettuce is widely cultivated in all countries of the world, being one of the traditional vegetable crops of many nations. It is especially widespread in Western Europe, where it is grown over large areas. Due to its high nutritional value, cold resistance, early ripening and productivity, lettuce is cultivated in almost all areas of the globe. In the northern regions it is grown in open ground and in greenhouses, in the southern subtropical zones - all year round in open ground.

Salad- one of the most popular green plants, which is especially valued in the spring, when the diet lacks vitamins and minerals. Leaves and heads of lettuce are usually consumed fresh for preparing various salads mixed with other vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes) or as an independent dish. Chopped fresh lettuce leaves are seasoned with vegetable oil, mustard, garlic or onion, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, finely chopped dill, parsley, celery, and chervil are added to taste. Salad is also prepared first meal(puree soup) and second(boiled heads of cabbage). The salad is also used stewed and fried. Lettuce leaves are eaten before the plant forms a stem, as they later become bitter.

Cultivated crops are cultivated primarily for food. Latex (lactucarium), widely used in medicine, especially in homeopathy, is obtained from the stems. The seeds contain good quality oil. Lettuce leaves are used in cosmetics.

For nutrition, young leaves of leafy varieties, heads of cabbage (head and romaine lettuce), thickened stems (asparagus salads) are consumed until the flower stem appears.

Beneficial features

In terms of its balanced vitamin content, lettuce occupies a special place among vegetable crops. Its leaves are especially rich in B vitamins - thiamine (Bi), riboflavin (B2) and pyridoxine (Bb). Fat-soluble vitamins in salad include tocopherol (E) and carotene (provitamin A), as well as folic acid - phylloquinone (vitamin K). In terms of folic acid content, lettuce leaves far behind almost all vegetable crops, except for spinach and parsley.

Salad is rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

For medicinal purposes, they mainly use the juice and infusion of lettuce. Lettuce juice refreshes and quenches thirst. Recommended for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, elderly and sedentary people, polio, etc. Fresh juice normalizes sleep and well-being, stimulates hematopoiesis and tissue growth, strengthens nerve and muscle tissue, acts as a sedative and diuretic. The juice is recommended to be taken for bronchitis, edema, gout, whooping cough, as a sobering remedy. Promotes scarring of ulcers in patients with chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, regulation of water metabolism in the body, improvement of metabolism and blood composition, normalization of the functioning of the digestive organs, eliminates the development of hypo- and avitaminosis, prevents the fragility of blood vessels, stimulates the removal of cholesterol from the body and is a good remedy for the prevention of atherosclerosis and sclerosis.

The history of salad culture goes back a long way. K. Lindqvist and L. Keimer, while studying Egyptian tombs, discovered lettuce plants on the paintings. L. Keimer reported that these plants were columnar in shape. K. Lindqvist determined that the plants had long, thin, pointed leaves, similar, according to his assumption, to the leaves of the currently known romaine lettuce.

Ch. Pickering points out that the L. scariola lettuce has been known to man since 665 BC. e. From the reports of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus it is known that already around 550 BC. e. salad was served to the table of the Persian kings, and during the reign of Kambez, salad at his court was considered a valuable delicacy. The moment when lettuce was brought to Europe is unknown, but it is certain that the Greeks adopted the lettuce culture from the Egyptians. In Ancient Greece, lettuce was used both as a vegetable and for medicinal purposes. Lettuce is mentioned in the works of Hippocrates, Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Dioscorides.

In Greece, a number of salad plants were known and some of them were distinguished under the names "tridiax" and "tridikane". In ancient times, lettuce stems were also used, even giving preference to them. Thus, Diphilus, a learned physician of the 4th century. BC e., considered them more nutritious than lettuce leaves. The comedies of Epicharmus (VI-V centuries BC) mention women peeling lettuce stalks. However, according to G. Hegi, there is no information about what exactly the ancient Greeks consumed - early forms of modern lettuce or whether it was L. serriola, L. virosa or plants of another genus. A, N. Bremer confirms that head lettuce was grown in ancient times, but not modern head varieties.

In Rome, lettuce was famous among other vegetables. The Romans consumed it as a dessert and later, from the time of Domitian, as an appetite-stimulating snack. During the time of Emperor Augustus, the salad was not only consumed fresh, it was pickled with honey and vinegar, and preserved as green beans. The Romans knew several forms of lettuce. Columella (42 AD) indicates that in areas with plenty of sun and seaside, lettuce is best planted in the fall. “There are many varieties of lettuce; each one must be planted at its own time. Brown, purple and even green lettuce with leaves in curls (this is the caecilian variety) or Sicilian lettuce should be planted in January; cappodocian with pale green, even and frequent leaves - in February, white with curly leaves - in March,” Columella reports in the book “Agriculture”. M. A. Henslow points out that Pliny distinguished between "crisped" and "squat" forms of lettuce. J. Helm believes that at that time head lettuce was still absent, and it was identified with the cultivation of Pliny's "Laconicon" and Columella's "Cappodocischer". In all likelihood, says J. Helm, these were varieties from the group of curly types of chives. The Roman physician Galen (164 AD) gives insight into the fairly wide medicinal uses of this plant. Palladius (210 AD) reports the presence of different varieties and mentions a method of bleaching lettuce.

The Arabs in Spain (VIII-IX centuries AD), in addition to head lettuce, called Cordoba, also had summer endive, called scvilla.

The Byzantine agricultural encyclopedia "Geoponics" (IX-X centuries) lists various types of lettuce: common lettuce, dicardin, frigiatikon, grigitan, kykridin, polyclonone. For each of these lettuces, sowing and transplanting times are indicated, as well as some methods for caring for the plants. Moreover, the salad is characterized from different sides - as stimulating the appetite, quenching thirst, promoting healthy sleep, and digestion.

In Central Europe, salad became known approximately only during the time of Charlemagne (768-814). During the reign of his son Louis (814-840), large estates of feudal lords and monastery gardens were allocated plots for vegetables called “orti” - “horti”.

The author of the book "Physica", compiled by the abbess of the monastery Hildegard (Hildegard, 1098-1179), indicates the cultivation in the monastery of the "wilden ladeche" lettuce and the cultural form - Lactuca domestica. Albertus Magnus distinguishes the large-leaved form, which is cultivated throughout the year. Albert the Great, in his treatise “On Plants” (1256), writes that “... cabbage, lettuce, and leeks should be replanted, since with a dense arrangement of plants they do not reach the required quantity, because one plant intercepts the nutrition of another...” and then “... lettuce it is well sown throughout the year in an open, irrigated, fertilized place, after transplanting it grows and becomes sweeter, and the leaves curl.” Peter Crescenzi (circa 1300) writes that lettuce can be sown and replanted almost all year round as a separate crop or with another “garden crop”. The existence of head lettuce with cabbage-like leaves is also confirmed by Lobelius, who called it L. capitata crispis brassicae follis. P. Matthioli gives a drawing of L. crispa that looks like a head of lettuce with curly leaves.

It is also known from literary sources that during the late Middle Ages, salad was known outside of Europe. Petr Martyr (1494) indicates the cultivation of Lactuca on the island of Isabella; Bensoni (1565) speaks of lettuce abundant in Haiti; Nieuhoff (1647) reports seeing it cultivated in Brazil. Lettuce was brought to England by a gardener under Charles I (XIV century); according to other sources, lettuce came to England from the Netherlands in 1520. J. Gerard (1597) mentions 8 varieties of lettuce grown in England.

It is assumed that lettuce was brought to France by the papal gardener (in Avignon) in the 14th century. (hence its name “Romaine”), has received recognition and widespread cultivation to this day.

Forcing lettuce was first started by the gardener of King Louis XIV (around 1700), who served the lettuce to the king's table in January. Cultivation of romaine in greenhouses began in 1700 in the Parisian districts, while head lettuce began to be grown in greenhouses only in 1812.

In Germany, asparagus salad has been known since 1835. J. Helm suggests that the name “asparagus salad” was given by Nietner, probably because of the fleshy shape of the stem. In Germany, leaf lettuce began to be grown in 1875, but until now in the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany this group of varieties is not diverse and is cultivated mainly in home gardens.

Lettuce as a vegetable plant quickly spread in Europe and America. Thus, according to reports from Sturt evants, in France in 1612 6 varieties were known, in 1690 - 12 varieties, in 1828 - 40, and in 1883 - 13; in England in 1597 - 6 varieties, in 1765 - 18. In America in 1806, 16 varieties were grown, and in 1885 - 87. In Holland in 1720, 47 varieties were known.

In East Asian countries, the most widespread are asparagus lettuce (stem lettuce) and cutting lettuce. Decandolle found that the first information about the use of asparagus salad in China is found in writings dating back to 600-900. According to Japanese sources, in China, the starting material of the lettuce was obtained from Iran and Western Asia. Other types of lettuce are not grown in China. In Japan, the first description of the salad dates back to the 10th century. It was a cutting tipe salad, but despite the long history of cultivation, it did not become widespread like asparagus salad in China. Head lettuce in Japan was first described in 1863. In subsequent years, US and French varieties were introduced to Japan. For a long time, lettuce was grown in Japan to decorate dishes. In the 50s of the XX century. lettuce has spread widely in Japan, and the cabbage varieties are grown into oil-leaf varieties (Wayhead and Big Boston varieties) and crispleaf varieties (New York, Imperial, and Great Lakes varieties).

Lettuce growing in the United States is concentrated in California. Here, breeding work was carried out to obtain varieties that were well transportable and immune to a number of diseases. US cultivars are mainly of the crispleaf type.

Vegetables became known to the Slavs since the adoption of Christianity, when Greek preachers introduced their cultivation following the example of the Greeks and Romans. The chronicles of Russia indicate a number of vegetables being grown, which were apparently imported from Byzantium. Salad is not mentioned among them. With the development of ties with the West, “fine crops” were also imported to Russia, among which was lettuce. “Lettuce came to us from the West,” believed G.V. Kovalevsky. He noted that A. Olearius in his “Description of a trip to Muscovy” (XVII century) reported: “The Russians did not plant lettuce and other salad plants, much less eat them, they even laughed at the Germans who consumed the grass, then some Russians began try the salad." Historians describe an episode about Golovin being forced to “eat salad and drink vinegar” at a court dinner with Peter I.

When examining the state of Russian gardening in 1900-1908. It has been established that industrial cultivation of vegetables began in the middle of the 19th century. Lettuce was important in St. Petersburg industrial gardens. Among the greenhouse vegetables, the most common was lettuce, which went on sale in February at a price of 50 k. per pound. Near St. Petersburg, the varieties Golden Apple Tree, Algerian, and Stone Head were grown in soil culture, and Steinkopf and Berlin Yellow were grown in greenhouses.

Odessa gardeners received four harvests of lettuce per year in soil culture, and among the greenhouse vegetables, lettuce was also the most common. In the Klin district of the Moscow province, greenhouse gardening has existed for a long time and on a significant scale. In 1901, 336 frames were occupied by lettuce, which accounted for 6% of the total number of frames in the county. They grew the Berlin variety or lettuce. In Rostov-on-Don, varieties of pale green color with curly edges - Ohio and Batavia - have established themselves on the market. Industrial gardening near Kyiv was widely developed. In greenhouse farms on Kurenevka and Preorka, vegetables were cultivated to obtain an early harvest of lettuce, radish, spinach, sorrel, and dill. And among these crops, cucumbers, radishes, and lettuce took first place in terms of the number of frames occupied. In 1913, M.V. Rytov reported that lettuce is grown in the northern regions of Russia (Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Olonets, Baltic provinces), as well as in the Central Volga region, Siberia and the Caucasus.

During the period of reconstruction of socialist agriculture, cooperatives of gardeners were created near large industrial centers. Thus, in 1923, the Labor Cooperative of Moscow gardeners grew dill and lettuce varieties Berlinsky, Zhidelevsky and romaine (Parizhsky variety).

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

How often do you notice that nature helps to overcome certain difficult, or rather, unfavorable periods, for example, those associated with To combat it, she created an amazing vegetable (although many people think that it is a herb) - lettuce.

This fast-growing annual plant is a real storehouse of nutrients. The salad plant is indispensable for decorating and harmoniously complementing the taste of any dish of fish, cheese, meat, and vegetables. It is very important that this crop can be grown throughout the year, and not just in spring and summer, even on the kitchen windowsill. Summer residents who have reaped the first harvest can immediately begin re-sowing.

Today, there are more than two hundred species of this amazing crop, and breeders continue to work on creating new varieties, hybrids, as well as new varieties. They are very interesting to grow, but you need to know some features.

Varieties and types

Leafy is the oldest one that belongs to the genus Lactuca. Currently, there are more than two hundred species in the world that differ in shape, taste, color, and ripening time, although a few years ago only a few of them, no more than two dozen, were used in vegetable growing. In our country, the species Lactuca satival has become particularly widespread and popular. It is found in Asia Minor, Southern and Central Europe.

Seeded lettuce can be divided into five categories:

• disruptive;
• sheet;
• romaine, or Roman;
• stem;
• cabbage

Green leaf lettuce has only a leaf rosette, the head does not appear. The leaves are used for food. This species includes varieties with heavily dissected and incised leaves. It differs from other species in its multiple ripening periods.

This species does not tolerate long-term storage and long-term transportation. The most common varieties are: Bona, Golden Ball, Kitare, Constance, Levistro, Concord and others.

Leaf salads: lettuce

This type can be divided into two groups.

cabbage

Lettuce leaves form a dense head, reminiscent of cabbage. The lettuce is used for food both after a short heat treatment and raw, for preparing vegetable salads. Boiled leaves are great for making cabbage rolls.

Sheet

This variety does not form a head, it has free rosettes. Today, varieties such as Lollo Biondo and Lollo Rosso (coral) are popular.

Arugula

More recently it has become extremely popular (in our country). It began to be mentioned in all popular culinary programs and included in almost all salads.

Arugula is a salad whose benefits have long been proven through scientific research. This variety grows with separate leaves, and its appearance resembles dandelion leaves or radish greens. The taste of this salad is very bright, spicy and hot. Young leaves are used for food, because later, over time, bitterness appears in them.

In the Caucasus, arugula (salad) is used much more widely. The benefits of young shoots and seeds have long been noticed by culinary specialists. The shoots are consumed fresh, and the seeds are used in making mustard. Arugula leaves go well in salads with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Arugula is often used in the preparation of the well-known and beloved pesto seasoning.

Beneficial features

Arugula has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract due to the biologically active substances contained in the plant. Mustard grass has diuretic and lactogenic effects. It successfully fights viruses and pathogenic bacteria, increases hemoglobin in the blood, strengthens the immune system, and lowers blood sugar levels.

Chicory

Don’t be surprised, this is really the same chicory that many are familiar with as a coffee substitute. But the root of the plant is used for this purpose, and the leaves stewed in oil add a piquant taste to any dish.

Headed varieties of chicory - red radicchio, as well as escarole, radicchio, Italian chicory - are grown for culinary purposes. This species is especially popular in Western Europe.

Radicchio

The Radicchio plant (lettuce) has a beautiful reddish-purple color. The stems are painted ivory. It has a pleasant peppery, slightly bitter taste. It also goes well with spicy leafy vegetables. Gives an interesting taste with garlic, thyme, and onion. It is stewed in a small amount of oil or in red wine, after chopping the leaves into thin strips.

Radicchio has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and gives elasticity to blood vessels.

Salad is disruptive

This variety is represented by varieties with a solid, slightly incised plate, with a wavy edge. The stem is covered with large, non-coarse leaves. It can reach eighty centimeters in height. Varieties of this type are good because they are suitable for phased harvesting. First, the outer leaves are cut off, the inner (young) leaves are left for further growth.

Canyon

A mid-season variety with a growing season of about forty-five days. The rosette is large (diameter about thirty-five centimeters). The leaves of green lettuce are anthocyanin-rich, wavy, and heavily cut. The weight of the socket is up to seven hundred grams. The variety is resistant to most lettuce diseases. The taste is very similar to cabbage varieties, but at the same time it retains its presentation and freshness much longer.

Stem salad (asparagus)

The stem lettuce plant has a fleshy stem, just below the rosette, the leaves are quite hard, with a clearly visible central vein. Both the leaves of the plant and the stem are used in cooking. The first domestic variety of stem lettuce is Pogonshchik. It has leaves of gray-green color, elliptical shape, medium thickness, erect. The length of the stem is approximately forty centimeters, the leaf is thirty centimeters, and the weight of one rosette is more than seven hundred and fifty grams. The variety produces high yields in any weather.

Head lettuce

This variety is represented by varieties with crispy, oily leaves with a rough texture. Heads of cabbage are round or flat-round in different sizes. The leaves are wide, rounded, vesicular. Popular varieties: Dude, Senator, Tsud Laravera, Major, Voorburgu, Lento. Yetty.

Senator

An early ripening variety, the growing season is about seventy-five days. Forms large, round, slightly flattened, dark green heads of high density. It has excellent taste, produces high yields, and is unpretentious to growing conditions.

Romaine

Crispy Romaine (or combines some cabbage varieties. This type has a vertically positioned rosette. The leaves are oboval, elongated, somewhat harsh. A large, loose, oval-shaped head of cabbage is tied in the center of the rosette. Half-headed forms are also found. In Russia, the most popular are Dandy, Scarb, Roger , Mishutka, Limpopo.

A loose and elongated head of Romaine is formed artificially. It keeps well. It is usually grown for autumn harvest. Sowing is carried out in mid-July, in seedling boxes. About four weeks after the seedlings appear, the seedlings are transplanted into the beds.

In open ground it is possible if the beds are empty by the time of sowing. The distance between the bushes is at least fifteen centimeters.

Beneficial features

• B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine;
• tocopherol;
• carotene;
• folic acid.

In addition, the salad contains minerals:

• potassium;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus.

Growing lettuce in open ground

Leaf varieties are sown in beds from the beginning of May, at intervals of about twenty days, until August. In May, they are often used as a compacting crop: several seeds are sown between bushes of tomatoes and other heat-loving vegetables. The lettuce will have time to grow before the main crop grows. Leaf lettuces are harvested fifty days after sowing, when seven leaves appear on the plant. It should be noted that they are tasty and healthy even before reaching commercial ripeness.

It is necessary to harvest the lettuce seeds in the morning, after the dew has dried, when the maximum amount of useful substances accumulates in the leaves. Lettuce, which is intended for storage, cannot be removed after watering - moisture that gets into the center of the rosette must dry before the plant is cut. Otherwise, wet leaves will spoil very quickly.

Head varieties are sown at the same time as leaf varieties. But they need more space. This variety cannot be a compaction crop. Headed varieties must be thinned out twice during cultivation: when two true leaves appear, it is necessary to leave a distance of five centimeters between the shoots; after six weeks, the distance between the rosettes is increased to twenty-five centimeters. Heads of cabbage are harvested eighty days after emergence. Such salads are stored better and longer than leaf salads.