Lettuce

vegetables · plants · food

A leafy green. Lettuce is an annual plant from the same family as sunflowers and daisies. Most of the time, people eat the tender leaves raw in salads, but you can also cook it in soups or grill it.

Grown everywhere. In 2023, the world grew 28 million tonnes of lettuce. China leads the way, growing more than half of all the lettuce in the world.

Different kinds exist. Most lettuce is grown for its leaves, but some varieties like celtuce are grown for their stems instead. The stems can be eaten raw or cooked.

Grows quickly. Lettuce is an annual plant, which means it completes its whole life cycle (from seed to flower to new seeds) in just one year.

More than just food. For hundreds of years, people have valued lettuce not just for eating but also for its religious meaning and healing powers in traditional medicine.