category: food/groceries: vegetables: leaf vegetables

Romaine lettuce, cos lettuce, bot.: Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia L., Lactuca romana, de.: Römischer Salat, Romana Salat, Bindesalat, Sommerendivie, Kochsalat, Kassler Strünkchen, fr.: laitue romaine, it.: lattugga romana, es.: lechuga romana

Romaine lettuce or Cos lettuce, often simply called Romaine or Cos, belongs to the botanical family of sunflowers (bot.: Compositae or Asteraceae). Since only the leafs of the plant are edible, Romaine is a leaf vegetable. It is grown almost exclusively in countries with a mediterranean climate. The leafs can get up to 40 cm long, form slender, loose heads and grow almost upright. The leafs of older varieties have to be bound together, to ensure the heart staying light in colour. Newer cultivars stay close together by themselves and are not bound. Romaine lettuce has sturdy leafs and is well suited for steaming. The leaf veins change their taste when steamed and remind of asparagus. The name Romaine lettuce derives from the old botanical name Lautuca romana.

Romaine lettuce weighs 300g on average and is the classical base for the Mexican and American salad classic Caesar Salad. Caesar Salad was created Tijuana, Mexiko by the Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini in his restaurant Caesar´s Place.