Romaine lettuce
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romaine lettuce
[roh-MAYN] Because it's said to have originated on the Aegean island of Cos, romaine is also called Cos lettuce. Romaine's elongated head has dark green outer leaves that lighten to pale celadon in the center. The leaves are crisp and slightly bitter and the crunchy midrib is particularly succulent. Romaine adds crunch and flavor to mixed green salads and is the lettuce of choice for caesar salads. See also lettuce.
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Romaine lettuce
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This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2010) |
Romaine or cos lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia) is a variety of lettuce which grows in a tall head of sturdy leaves with a firm rib down the center. Unlike most lettuces, it is tolerant of heat. The name cos lettuce derives from the Greek island of Kos, where it originated.[1] The day of 22 Germinal in the French Republican Calendar is dedicated to this lettuce.[2]
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Contents
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Cuisine
The thick ribs, especially on the older outer leaves, should have a milky fluid which gives the romaine the typically fine-bitter herb taste. Romaine is the usual lettuce used in Caesar salad. Romaine lettuce is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Ritual use
Romaine lettuce may be used in the Passover Seder as a type of bitter herb, to symbolise the bitterness inflicted by the Egyptians while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.[3][4]
Nutrition
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 72 kJ (17 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 3.3 g |
| - Dietary fibre | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g |
| Protein | 1.2 g |
| Water | 95 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 290 μg (36%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 136 μg (34%) |
| Vitamin C | 24 mg (29%) |
| Calcium | 33 mg (3%) |
| Iron | 0.97 mg (7%) |
| Phosphorus | 30 mg (4%) |
| Potassium | 247 mg (5%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
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As with other dark leafy greens, the antioxidants contained within romaine lettuce are believed to help prevent cancer.[5] According to the 2011 edition of the Old Farmer's Almanac, the chlorophyll pigment in dark leafy greens, such as Romaine lettuce, may reduce levels of colon and liver cancer carcinogens.
Notes
- ^ Cos, Oxford Dictionaries
- ^ Tooke, William . The Monarchy of France: its rise, progress, and fall, p. 634
- ^ “Towards a History of the Paschal Meal” by Joseph Tabory in Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times Edited by Paul Bradshaw and Lawrence Hoffman.
- ^ Passover_Seder_Plate#Symbolic_foods
- ^ American Institute for Cancer Research, "Foods That Fight Cancer: Dark Green Leafy Vegetables".
References
- Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food, s.v. lettuce. Oxford University Press 1999. ISBN 0-19-211579-0.
- Kirschmann, John D. & Dunne, Lavon J. Nutrition Almanac, s.v. ISBN 0-07-034906-1.
External links
The Wiktionary entry for romaine
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