# Iceberg Lettuce Sucks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659 "2012-06-09T22:52:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/41 "2012-06-10T03:59:09Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Where are the iceberg defenders? The gauntlet has been thrown! It’s more about the texture – it’s kind of a blank canvas. I wouldn’t want to eat a head of it like an apple, really, but it’s got a lot of water in it (good for hydration of self), probably some nutrients, and sets off whatever it’s served with via its crisp texture and general air of wholesomeness. And it does have a taste – maybe not that strong a taste, but it’s not like eating nothing-tasting things. White rice doesn’t have too much flavor either, but it’s the foundation of many of the best cuisines on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/42 "2012-06-10T04:21:00Z")
Iceberg became the definitive lettuce in the '50’s because it ships well and has a long shelf life. What it doesn’t have is flavor or nutrition. Thankfully we now have lots of leafy greens to choose from. YEA progress! ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/43 "2012-06-10T04:57:38Z")
I agree. I don’t hate it, but it’s boring and tasteless. My favorite salad is one of spring greens. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/44 "2012-06-10T05:16:04Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Taco Bell is the worst of the worst in the taco world because of their insistence on loading up their hard shell tacos with their cheapest ingredient: shredded water strips. Yuck! Well, that and every other ingredient they use. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/45 "2012-06-10T05:50:51Z")
It has a good crunch and it is ridiculously cheap. If I’m not sure if I’m going to make a salad or not and I’ll pick up a head so I have it for sandwiches. If I end up throwing most of it away I still feel I got my money’s worth. Other lettuces I make sure they are consumed. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/46 "2012-06-10T06:12:32Z")
I like iceberg for its crunch, and moisture, and taste. I even snack on it plain, as long as it’s not the nasty, limp outer leaves. Same reason I like celery (which has a stronger taste, but also strings that get caught in my teeth). For salads that’re going to be drowned in some dressing, I’ll just use romaine. I avoid salads with those other vile and limp greens. If someone is describing it as “peppery”, I’ll know they’re serving me food that rabbits would turn noses up at. Watercress is peppery; that other stuff is just limp leaves. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/47 "2012-06-10T12:45:10Z")
> [@oliversarmy](#): > > It’s kind of like hating water. But water sucks! It really, really sucks! ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/48 "2012-06-10T13:55:55Z")
I like it, but then again, a big part of that might be that I seldom have it - it would be unusual to see it as a salad around here (it’s always spinach or “field greens”) except as a wedge salad, and as already mentioned, a wedge salad gets an A+. And I really like the cool crunch on burgers or chicken sandwiches. So iceberg lettuce – good at what it’s good for, and what else can you ask of a food? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/49 "2012-06-10T14:04:56Z")
I have always felt that iceberg lettuce is a pathetic waste of water and cropland. The use of good soil to produce this drivel should be criminalized. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/50 "2012-06-10T14:18:05Z")
If you do that, rutabagas have got to go too. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/51 "2012-06-10T14:58:18Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > People like iceberg lettuce for its texture not its taste. Its “crunch” gives it a good mouthfeel. > > You might argue, so what? But in a salad the dressing is going to provide ninety percent of the taste anyway. The lettuce often just serves as a foundation to carry the dressing. So the texture of the lettuce can be more important than its flavor. Similar to breakfast cereal claims, iceberg lettuce “stays crunchy in milk (dressing)”. I despise romaine for salads. I hate the way it goes limp almost immediately when dressed, and trying to spear this limp piece of lettuce pasted onto my plate is frustrating. I agree with “The lettuce often just serves as a foundation to carry the dressing.” It’s the same reason I prefer white bread for my sandwiches: it’s just there to hold the other ingredients, and I don’t want it competing with the other flavors (maybe just my tastebuds, but the flavor of most whole-grain breads completely overpowers most of the things I like to put in a sandwich). Iceberg lettuce holds up better on a burger, as long as the burger doesn’t sit for too long under a heat lamp. The “green leaf” lettuce many restaurants use, like romaine, goes limp almost immediately and has the texture of a sheet of damp paper. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/52 "2012-06-10T18:34:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **silenus** : > > Iceberg has its place in a salad, much more so than the lawn clippings that most “reaching for class” places fill their salads with these days. I don’t want to see dandelion, cress, endive or escarole anywhere near my salad. Iceberg, romaine, maybe a little Bibb. That’s it. I don’t want to see dandelion anywhere near my salad, either. That’s because any dandelion that’s near my salad is dandelion that wasn’t in my salad, and therefore didn’t get eaten immediately. There’s only one thing iceberg is good for, and celery is better at that. There’s no excuse for iceberg’s existence. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/53 "2012-06-10T18:40:36Z")
BCTs suck. Just sayin. ---
**Author:** ![Cheerleading\_Dropout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cheerleading\_Dropout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheerleading_Dropout)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/54 "2012-06-10T18:42:22Z")
Iceberg lettuce is my favorite type of lettuce. I’ve loved it since I was two or three I’d say. I like how light, crunchy, and juicy it is. Like watermelon, but you can put it on hamburgers and such, or like celery but less stringy. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/55 "2012-06-10T19:27:47Z")
> [@](#): > > BCTs suck. Just sayin. That’s why you use lettuce for those. _Real_ lettuce. You don’t need lettuce for crunch on a BLT, because you already have bacon on it. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/56 "2012-06-10T19:31:19Z")
You just compared lettuce to bacon? You are SOOOO going to hell (that what my friend the Pope just told me on Facebook when he heard about this ). And I predict a retaliatory banning within the week 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/57 "2012-06-10T19:46:37Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You just compared lettuce to bacon? No, he said you don’t need lettuce when you’ve got bacon. Which is certainly true even if it’s so obvious it doesn’t really need saying. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/58 "2012-06-10T22:04:11Z")
Romaine is good with Ceasar salads - but for regular salads, all we use is iceberg. I use it for (as others have said) a delivery system for the croutons, the dressing, the cucumbers, the tomatoes, etc. BLT’s are not right if they aren’t made with iceberg lettuce - the crunchier the better. The same goes for leftover turkey sandwiches - and those sometimes require Miracle Whip as well (depending on our state of mind.) This is how my husband and I were raised and this is how things are right and good. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/59 "2012-06-11T02:03:01Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > iceberg lettuce -… Miracle Whip You are Evile, and will be smashed in the Great Kharmaic Backlash. There is no smilie in this post. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/60 "2012-06-11T02:04:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No, he said you don’t need lettuce when you’ve got bacon. Which is certainly true even if it’s so obvious it doesn’t really need saying. Perfectly done bacon is texturally close to iceberg, without the water, lack of flavor and nastiness. I completely approve. Bacon\>iceberg. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659.md?page=4)