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Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate plant grown for its leaves,
which are used in salads, sandwiches, and several other
dishes. Lettuce is generally used raw and in cold dishes,
but in South-East Asian cooking it is used as a 'wrap'
around a hot filling.
There are many varieties of lettuce commonly available,
including:
- Iceberg (head lettuce)
- Red leaf
- Green leaf
- North Pole
- Romaine or Cos
- Butter lettuce
Some lettuces (especially iceberg) have been
specifically bred to remove the bitterness from their
leaves. These lettuces are largely water with very little
nutrient value. The more bitter lettuces and the ones with
pigmented leaves contain anti-oxidants. Consider replacing
lettuce with spinach or alfalfa sprouts if you wish to
have high nutrient value; these replacements also last
longer in the refrigerator.
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