# 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:** 4
**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, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/61 "2012-06-11T02:20:15Z")
Iceberg lettuce and flash drives are tools of the devile. Burn them! Burn them! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/62 "2012-06-11T02:38:33Z")
What the hell is a “wedge salad”? ---
**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, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/63 "2012-06-11T02:57:07Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What the hell is a “wedge salad”? Nasty things, principally among them the aforesaid iceberg lettuce, hacked into “wedges” to support the “dressing” which is what the Great Unwashed prefer to salad with oil and vinegar. ---
**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 11, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/64 "2012-06-11T03:10:33Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Nasty things, principally among them the aforesaid iceberg lettuce, hacked into “wedges” to support the “dressing” which is what the Great Unwashed prefer to salad with oil and vinegar. People make wedge salads with oil + vinegar dressing? Usually it’s glopped up with tons o’ ranch dressing and bacon bits. Drowning the poor lettuce quarter in ranch isn’t doing it any favors, but oil + vinegar is about the worst you could do to iceberg. If you’re using it for salad, it needs some flavor. ---
**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 11, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/65 "2012-06-11T03:19:44Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What the hell is a “wedge salad”? > **[Wedge Salad](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/wedge-salad-recipe-2103729)** > > Get Wedge Salad Recipe from Food Network ---
**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, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/66 "2012-06-11T03:24:42Z")
Oil and vinegar? Ranch? What are you heathens talking about? **Mister Rik’s** link has it right…a wedge (being the only grudgingly acceptable way to actually eat the nastiness that is iceberg lettuce) has yummy ingredients to make it palatable: diced bacon, bleu cheese dressing/crumbles and tomatoes. I would make an argument for adding a fine mince of red onion, but its a minor quibble. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/67 "2012-06-11T05:16:06Z")
You hate iceberg lettuce? Fine. But please don’t tell me what I should like. It’s elitist and none of your business. TO ME: iceberg is fine on a sandwich mixed with all the other ingredients of said sandwich. It mixes with the other ingredients and adds mouth feel, crunchiness, and moisture to things. TO ME: iceberg is also perfectly acceptable in a salad mixed with other more interesting ingredients, including more interesting greens. Iceberg by itself is a horror of a salad, but it’s nice to have around for texture, at the very least as a Hamburger-helper of greens. TO YOU: well, you disagree. I can live with that. But please don’t tell me what I should like. ---
**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 11, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/68 "2012-06-11T06:17:25Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I would make an argument for adding a fine mince of red onion, but its a minor quibble. My boss, the Executive Chef, would agree with you. I thought there were one or two other toppings, but it’s one of those dishes we’ve made exactly _once_ (I work in catering, not a restaurant, where we have an ever-shifting menu), so I don’t remember it all that well. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/69 "2012-06-11T06:40:46Z")
I always have a at least one container of mixed salad leaves in the fridge but when an iceberg lettuce is called for that is what I use. Off hand I can think of 4 things I buy them for - fattoush, peas and wilted lettuce, egg salad sandwiches and san choy bow. For the first 3 I want no taste component from the lettuce. For the last I want that and the structure it wouldn’t be the same without the [iceberg lettuce cups](http://wholesomecook.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/quick-pork-san-choy-bow/). ---
**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 11, 2012, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/70 "2012-06-11T07:55:07Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > People make wedge salads with oil + vinegar dressing? Usually it’s glopped up with tons o’ ranch dressing and bacon bits. Drowning the poor lettuce quarter in ranch isn’t doing it any favors, but oil + vinegar is about the worst you could do to iceberg. If you’re using it for salad, it needs some flavor. I always thought the traditional dressing for a wedge was blue cheese. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/71 "2012-06-11T11:48:32Z")
I keep waiting for an episode of Iron Chef where the Chairman that today’s secret ingredient is iceberg lettuce. Morimoto would stalk off softly cursing in Japanese that it wasn’t actually food. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/72 "2012-06-11T12:03:50Z")
Well, I like Iceberg. It’s not my favourite lettuce in every context, but that would be impossible anyway. And as **Max the Immortal** said - it’s not tasteless, it’s _subtle_. If you think it’s tasteless, you’re doing it wrong. ETA: I also like it cooked - finely shredded and added to a noodle stirfry at the last minute, it’s really quite good. ---
**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, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/73 "2012-06-11T12:38:51Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > You hate iceberg lettuce? Fine. But please don’t tell me what I should like. It’s elitist and none of your business. > > TO ME: iceberg is fine on a sandwich mixed with all the other ingredients of said sandwich. It mixes with the other ingredients and adds mouth feel, crunchiness, and moisture to things. > > TO ME: iceberg is also perfectly acceptable in a salad mixed with other more interesting ingredients, including more interesting greens. Iceberg by itself is a horror of a salad, but it’s nice to have around for texture, at the very least as a Hamburger-helper of greens. > > TO YOU: well, you disagree. I can live with that. But please don’t tell me what I should like. In case you hadn’t noticed, we were having fun here. The grumpy gus section is over to your right. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/74 "2012-06-11T12:43:55Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > In case you hadn’t noticed, we were having fun here. The grumpy gus section is over to your right. And those are the guys that eat iceberg lettuce. And that’s why they are grumpy. When I get old I am going to live off of nothing but iceberg lettuce and PBR. And the kids in the neighborhood will fear me like no other. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/75 "2012-06-11T12:47:57Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Man I hate this lettuce. Why is it so popular? It tastes like nothing, has little to no nutritional value outside of maybe roughage and besides a yummy wedge salad (which is only yummy because of bleu cheese crumbles and diced tomatoes and bacon) has very little practical utility IMO. > > I mean, maybe a leaf of it on a burger is all right, but I can think of better things to dress a burger with. > > With so many yummy leaf lettuces, mustard greens, spring mixes, arugula, frissee, etc available…why eat this shit? > > Who’s with me? > > 🙂 Thank you thank you thank you for this! It has been one of my life’s missions to convince Americans that iceberg lettuce isn’t “real” lettuce! We’ve been tricked by restaurant advertising to believe that iceberg is the best lettuce, when they’re really buying it for pennies and charging us the same as romaine, spinach, or mesclun. It has zero nutritional value and zero taste. It’s the Paula Poundstone of lettuces. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/76 "2012-06-11T13:01:22Z")
Iceberg lettuce is fine. I don’t like it on my burgers (don’t want any kind of lettuce on my hamburger), but it can be a nice, cool, refreshing salad green to have with a grilled dinner. I don’t use it as a vehicle for salad dressing. Just give it to me lightly dressed with oil & vinegar, and perhaps a little bit of tomato (if it’s fresh), and possibly cucumbers, and to me it’s a crunchy, watery counterpoint to the rest of my meal. Iceberg is not an aggressively “green” tasting green, but it does have some flavor to it. And I don’t know what people suggesting celery are smoking if they think it somehow can function as a substitute for iceberg. The crunch is different, and the taste is completely different. That said, when given the choice, usually I will opt for more bitter and limper greens, but when I want that watery crunch, I’ll take iceberg. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/77 "2012-06-11T13:11:47Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Iceberg lettuce is fine. I don’t like it on my burgers (don’t want any kind of lettuce on my hamburger), but it can be a nice, cool, refreshing salad green to have with a grilled dinner. I don’t use it as a vehicle for salad dressing. Just give it to me lightly dressed with oil & vinegar, and perhaps a little bit of tomato (if it’s fresh), and possibly cucumbers, and to me it’s a crunchy, watery counterpoint to the rest of my meal. > > Iceberg is not an aggressively “green” tasting green, but it does have some flavor to it. And I don’t know what people suggesting celery are smoking if they think it somehow can function as a substitute for iceberg. The crunch is different, and the taste is completely different. > > That said, when given the choice, usually I will opt for more bitter and limper greens, but when I want that watery crunch, I’ll take iceberg. I completely agree. It has a subtle sweet flavor and a very unique texture. People associate it with a time when other types of lettuces were not available. As a result, a lot of self-proclaimed “foodies” race to distance themselves from it now. Most of my chef friends agree that iceburg lettuce will always have a place at the table. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/78 "2012-06-11T13:45:35Z")
Iceberg - not needed for salads, I agree with this. Iceberg - IS needed for burgers, BLTs, etc. For reasons already addressed, plus this one. 1 leaf of iceberg UNDER the hamburger pattie serves as a barrier to keep the juices from getting to that lower bun segment. Iceberg is way better at this than Romaine or Green Leaf. Now you want to know what’s not fucking needed on a burger? Cheese, damn it!! ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/79 "2012-06-11T14:04:23Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > And those are the guys that eat iceberg lettuce. And that’s why they are grumpy. When I get old I am going to live off of nothing but iceberg lettuce and PBR. And the kids in the neighborhood will fear me like no other. Dude - make it Old Style and you can be our neighbor!! We can have dinners together! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659/80 "2012-06-11T14:21:57Z")
Most lettuce doesn’t have any more pronounced taste than iceberg. I mix other types into salad for nutritional value and color, but those crunchy iceberg hearts are what make the salad more than limp cow food. That said, I would like to see non-iceberg heading lettuce (i.e. “buttercrunch” types) in the supermarket. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-sucks/624659.md?page=5)