What is the difference between cos and romaine lettuce

Also known as: Cos, Roman lettuce, Manchester lettuce. Romaine is the American term for this long leafed lettuce, also called cos or cos lettuce mainly with British-speaking peoples because it is said to have originated on the Greek island of Cos Kos , off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea also the birthplace of the physician Hippocrates. It's original home is western Europe and the eastern Mediterranean area.

Romaine has been cultivated and eaten cooked or raw for almost 5, years and may very well be the oldest form of cultivated lettuce. Egyptian tombs reveal paintings of lettuce with long, pointed leaves, resembling romaine. It was known to the Romans, who usually ate lettuce cooked, as Cappadocian lettuce, and was called Roman lettuce due to the Romans belief in its healthful and healing properties.

According to Pliny, the emperor Augustus Caesar is said to have put up a statue to honor its healing abilities after being cured of a serious illness. A white latex oozes from its leaf base and the thicker ribs of older, larger leaves and is reflected in the first syllable of its Latin name, Lactuca, which means milk. Lettuce juice was used as a medicine by many ancient herbalists. Supposedly in the 14th century when the Popes of the Roman Catholic Church temporarily moved from Rome to Avignon, they brought this variety of lettuce with them, calling it Avignon lettuce.

The earliest English name for it was Roman lettuce, around the 17th century. The source of the English romaine is from the French laitue romaine, Italians call it lattuga romana. Butterhead lettuce is usually deep green, although red varieties exist. This lettuce is a good source of carotenoid antioxidants, such as beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

These protect your eyes from macular degeneration, a condition that can result in partial vision loss Furthermore, butterhead contains higher amounts of iron than other lettuces. This nutrient is essential for creating red blood cells 9 , Keep in mind that plants provide only non-heme iron, which is poorly absorbed.

As vitamin C helps increase your absorption, consider eating butterhead lettuce with a food high in this vitamin , such as red peppers Furthermore, it works well in egg-salad or tuna sandwiches and serves as a great tortilla replacement for wraps.

Store butterhead lettuce in a sealable bag in the fridge for 2—3 days, keeping the leaves dry to prevent wilting. Butterhead lettuce has soft leaves and looks similar to cabbage.

Instead, its leaves come together at a stem. Both types are high in vitamin A, beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin , all of which support eye and skin health 9 , 11 , 12 , However, red leaf lettuce contains much higher levels of phenolic compounds. In particular, its anthocyanins and quercetin act as potent antioxidants that protect your body from free radical damage 9 , 22 , To store leaf lettuce, pat it dry and keep it in a plastic bag or storage container.

It can usually last 7—8 days in the fridge. Leaf lettuce has crisp, ruffled leaves. Both green and red types are high in folate, manganese, and vitamins A and K.

Yet, red leaf lettuce is higher in antioxidants. Stem lettuce is popular in Chinese cuisine and is commonly called Chinese lettuce, stalk lettuce, or celtuce 2. As its name indicates, stem lettuce has a long stalk with narrow leaves. Lettuce varieties. Pests and diseases. By David Marks Lettuce has been cultivated for more than two thousand years and over that time many different types have developed.

In the UK we grow and consume four principal types of lettuce and within each type there are many, many different varieties. It is a key ingredient of the famous dish Caesar Salad. In the UK it is commonly called Cos lettuce although in France and the USA it is called Romaine - there is no difference between the two other than the different names.

Often the centre has a much crisper head but nothing as crisp as iceberg or the average Cos. The leaves have lots of taste to them and overall are sweet. Unless your appetite for salad is rather large the leaves, rather than the whole lettuce, are harvested as and when needed which allows more leaves to grow. For this reason we're not going to offer any advice on this variety of lettuce. Protein 1g. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

There is a required 4 hour marinate time for the meat so plan ahead. Side dishes include frijoles, guacamole and rajas. This is a tasty wrap that combines deli turkey slices and romaine lettuce flavored with walnut and jellied cranberry mayonnaise. Fresh crab is lightly sauteed with garlic, onion, and your favorite purchased or fresh salsa. Then the Spicy Crab Tacos are topped with shredded lettuce, diced cucumbers and bell pepper. Makes a fresh, fast weeknight dinner. Walnuts are spiced with cayenne and maple syrup and used to top a salad of watercress, romaine, red onion and dried cranberry salad.

A garden fresh salad with jicama, avocado, pineapple, onions and chiles dressed with a lime, sour cream, cilantro, and balsamic dressing. You May Also Like.