Iceberg Lettuce Sucks

[yhelothar]

Why do people even grow this thing? There's little taste and it's one of the least nutritionally dense vegetables, in fact almost no nutritional value at all.

With so many other awesome green leafy vegetables such as spinach, arugula, pea shoots, mustard greens, kale why does iceberg lettuce come out top?

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2476/2

 

[highland145]

Why the eff?....cheap.

/thread

 

[Ns1]

crunchy texture not provided by any of the other greens you listed, with the exception of kale which is wood unless properly prepared.

 

[lxskllr]

I like it better than I used to, but it's pretty bland. Price is the only real selling point. I'd much rather have romaine for a crisp leaf, but my favorite is spring greens mix.

 

[yhelothar]

With the 6 figure incomes here, it's surprising cost would be a concern when lettuce costs a dollar a pound on average. Romaine might cost about 50% more, but that's only a few cents more for something that's significantly more nutritionally dense, not to mention more flavorful.

 

[DesiPower]

Lettuce tacos taste best with icebergs

 

[GagHalfrunt]

crunchy texture not provided by any of the other greens you listed, with the exception of kale which is wood unless properly prepared.

Exactly. While lacking in flavor it provides a nice crispy texture that is desirable in salads composed of limp greens and on sandwiches with all soft elements. Used in the proper time and place iceberg accomplishes what other greens can't do.

And BTW, anyone that says price has not bought any iceberg lately. Drought and cold in the primary growing regions has spiked prices over the last couple of months. I never saw iceberg over .99 cents a head until recently and now it's often $2.50 to $2.99.

 

[Crono]

It's good if you want the crunch of a neutral green in your sandwiches. It's bland filler... which has its place, I suppose.

 

[yhelothar]

Exactly. While lacking in flavor it provides a nice crispy texture that is desirable in salads composed of limp greens and on sandwiches with all soft elements. Used in the proper time and place iceberg accomplishes what other greens can't do.

I'll give you that, partially.
Romaine has a similar crispy texture. Furthermore, only the base of lettuce is really crispy. Outer leaves are just as floppy as any other green leafy veggie.
You end up with the floppy kind a good fraction of the time at most burger joints.

And the crisp doesn't make up for the lack in taste either. Give me a sandwich or burger loaded with a mix of leafy greens and it'll taste vastly superior than one with just iceberg lettuce.

 

[Ns1]

I'll give you that, partially.
Romaine has a similar crispy texture. Furthermore, only the base of lettuce is really crispy. Outer leaves are just as floppy as any other green leafy veggie.
You end up with the floppy kind a good fraction of the time at most burger joints.

it's not the same. when you make a proper ceasar salad you'll buy romaine & chop off the leafy ends and only use the crunchy sections. But you can't shred the crunchy sections of romaine the same way you would iceberg lettuce - or rather, it won't produce the desired taste/texture.

so in an application such as a po-boy or hamburger where crunchy texture is desired, iceberg reigns supreme

IMO

 

[Mai72]

Iceberg is great on BLT sandwiches because of their crispness.

 

[yhelothar]

it's not the same. when you make a proper ceasar salad you'll buy romaine & chop off the leafy ends and only use the crunchy bottom section. But you can't shred the bottom section of romaine the same way you would iceberg lettuce - or rather, it won't produce the desired taste/texture.

so in an application such as a po-boy or hamburger where crunchy texture is desired, iceberg reigns supreme

IMO

Each to their own. I'd prefer the flavor of a good mix of leafy greens over the enhance crisp texture of lettuce.

 

[Kaido]

I have a mixed opinion of iceberg. I tend to view it as crunchy water. However, I can think of 3 excellent applications off the top of my head:

1. Great on regular burgers (on fancy burgers, I like baby spinach or Boston lettuce because it's soft)
2. Great for greenstyle burgers (as a bun)
3. Great for lettuce tacos (re: PF Chang's fabulous lettuce wrap)

If I get a salad, I just get a bag of mixed greens. I used to think a salad was iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing until I went to a few restaurants and found out you can make an entire meal out of salad with a variety of greens, dressings, protein, etc.

 

[Kaido]

Iceberg is great on BLT sandwiches because of their crispness.

Oh yes this too!

 

[Jodell88]

I hate iceberg lettuce as well. I prefer looseleaf lettuce.

 

[Ns1]

No better lettuce than iceberg for this:

 

[schmuckley]

That is correct,buy Romaine!
It lasts 4x as long in the fridge.

 

[OverVolt]

That is correct,buy Romaine!
It lasts 4x as long in the fridge.

And has bitter stems!

Oh wait thats not a pro thats a con.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Each to their own. I'd prefer the flavor of a good mix of leafy greens over the enhance crisp texture of lettuce.

That's why you don't use 100% of one or the other. A good salad is a mix of elements, leafy greens for flavor, iceberg for texture, various other things like meats, cheeses, peppers, beans, tomatoes, cukes, whatever you like. Just tossing loose leaf soft greens into a bowl and calling it a salad is no better than using nothing but iceberg. It's all about balance.

 

[lupi]

great for addition to meat sandwiches, nacho platter or other occasions where a crunchy leaf is needed.

 

[mmntech]

Iceberg lettuce gives sandwiches that nice crunch, and it holds on to dressings well. While I enjoy Romaine in salads, it doesn't seem to work as well in sandwiches. Especially on its own with no other veg.

 

[BoberFett]

crunchy texture not provided by any of the other greens you listed, with the exception of kale which is wood unless properly prepared.

This. It makes for a crunchy, cool, delicious sandwich. Gotta use leaf though obviously, not the shredded crap.

 

[Newbian]

It's all about the crunch mostly.

I hate leaf lettuce more because it lacks it plus if anything it tastes worse.

 

[drebo]

Better to have no taste than shit taste (spinich, kale, etc).

I prefer romaine, though.

 

[zinfamous]

No better lettuce than iceberg for this:

Not sure if I should barf or rub one off.

:hmm: