# Iceberg lettuce - what the heck? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 22, 2022, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906 "2022-02-22T03:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/1 "2022-02-22T03:37:15Z")
So kill me, I know it has no nutritional value and is pretty tasteless, but hey I like it. It’s my first choice as a base for a salad, or shredded in a sub etc. But the heck? All I can find now is heads of lettuce that weigh a ton, and have basically no green leaves. All those sour-ish heavy white leaves. I search the bin for a lighter weight head of poor old iceberg, to no avail. It’s not like it’s sold by weight, so why on earth is it so heavy and full of sour white tough leaves? (Are they called leaves?) Where do I find nice, light heads of my favorite iceberg? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/2 "2022-02-22T04:18:18Z")
I’m going to guess that whatever shortage you are experiencing is the result of Covid – supply issues, lack of labor to harvest, etc. If that is the case there’s not going to be much you can do about it except wait it out for things to get back to normal. As for the tough white sour leaves, it sounds to me like you’re getting into cabbage instead of lettuce. There are other kinds of actual lettuce that don’t come in round balls, that may be available when iceberg isn’t. Maybe ask your grocer if there is any other kind of lettuce, or go to a produce market or farmer’s market. ---
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/3 "2022-02-22T06:07:41Z")
Seriously??? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/4 "2022-02-22T06:10:30Z")
What part of **Roderick** ’s post are you questioning? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/5 "2022-02-22T08:13:51Z")
You have mistaken cabbage for lettuce. They are not the same. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/6 "2022-02-22T10:22:56Z")
I agree that is sounds like the OP is rooting through the cabbage bin looking for lettuce. As for iceberg lettuce, I think it gets a bad rap. I may start a thread about it if I’m feeling ambitious later. mmm ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/7 "2022-02-22T15:39:19Z")
I agree, though I have noticed that iceburg has changed over the past 20 years. One used to be able to find very hefty solid heads, now there is ‘air space’ and more green leaves - a looser lighter weight head. Taste is the same, but I miss the old solider heads. I do like Romaine, love Boston Butter, and the looseleaf colored Ruby [and perhaps other names] and homegrown baby spinach [I have 4 or 5 square planters for fresh greens on the deck, and for a while was growing Romaine in an aerogarden at my bedside, the aerogarden was perfect for avoiding seasonal affective disorder, full spectrum light 16 hours a day =)] ---
**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:** [February 22, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/8 "2022-02-22T16:08:02Z")
Yeah, iceberg is perfectly fine if you want a refreshing palate cleanser of crunch to whatever you’re making. A BLT tastes wrong to me with any other lettuce (except perhaps romaine – romaine is what I use when I want iceberg but want something slightly more flavorful. It’s got the crunch and the wateriness I like of iceberg.) I have not noticed what the OP has, though, in terms of iceberg – I bought some last week and it was the normal good ol’ standby iceberg I’ve come to expect. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/9 "2022-02-22T16:16:15Z")
I hope this thread serves as encouragement for folks to grow their own lettuce if circumstances permit. Lettuce is such an easy undemanding vegetable to grow, takes up very little space, and in terms of flavor, well, there really is no comparison between iceberg lettuce purchased at the grocery store that was harvested, wrapped, and shipped two weeks ago, with the dozens of varieties of delicious leaf lettuce one can grow fresh in their own back yard. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/10 "2022-02-22T16:25:44Z")
The lettuce I eat almost exclusively is iceberg - and I seek out the densest, heaviest heads to maximize the crunchy core. There’s not a lot of taste; then again, I don’t find alternate types of lettuce to have much in that department either. I’ve grown numerous green and red loose-leaf varieties and the flavor has always struck me as meh or meh+. It’s untrue that iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value. It has less than other types, but unless you’re eating a whole lot of iceberg and ignoring other nutritional foods, it doesn’t really matter. > **[How Healthy Is Iceberg Lettuce, Exactly?](https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/nutrition-health-iceberg-lettuce)** > > There may not be much love for this classic salad staple in health circles, but it’s not as bad as you might think. My salads include numerous other ingredients such as tomatoes, green onions, carrots, cucumbers etc, so when combined with scant dressing they’re still pretty nutritious. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/11 "2022-02-22T20:31:40Z")
+1 and Amen. j ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/12 "2022-02-22T20:51:56Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It’s untrue that iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value. Indeed. I’m actually now on doctor’s orders to avoid leafy green vegetables, including iceberg lettuce, because the amount of Vitamin K in such things messes with a drug I started taking last fall. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/13 "2022-02-22T22:42:24Z")
So, you’re not finding iceberg lettuce, just dense whitish heads? I’m curious what your standard of “iceberg lettuce” is, because the stuff I know as iceberg has always met that description. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/14 "2022-02-22T23:17:07Z")
How about we trust the OP to know their iceberg lettuce. I’d talk to the produce manager at the store where you shop. Or try looking at a different store. Iceberg lettuce is sold by brand and price. Your retailer may be getting the bargain basement stuff or stuff that has been affected by cooler-than-expected weather. Shopping results vary a lot between different grocery chains. I tend to shop a lot of different stores. The big box chain near me has sucky produce. But there’s an Asian grocery not much further away that has really fresh produce. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/15 "2022-02-22T23:34:13Z")
Yeah - for crying out loud. The guy loves iceberg. Give him credit for knowing the difference from cabbage! I’ve got nothing to add. We went nearly exclusively to leaf lettuce several years (decades?) ago. But even with our choice, the quality varies considerably from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![SacFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@SacFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SacFly)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/16 "2022-02-22T23:38:54Z")
I think people are puzzled by heads of iceberg that “weigh a ton”. That’s something I’ve never encountered. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/17 "2022-02-22T23:49:10Z")
Isn’t all lettuce just the way California exports water? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/18 "2022-02-22T23:56:30Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > As for iceberg lettuce, I think it gets a bad rap. I may start a thread about it if I’m feeling ambitious later. So iceberg and mustard!? Don’t let’s be silly! ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/19 "2022-02-23T00:05:11Z")
> [@SacFly](#): > > I think people are puzzled by heads of iceberg that “weigh a ton”. That’s something I’ve never encountered. A heavy head of iceberg lettuce usually is one that grew slowly allowing the leaves to grow tight, right next to each other. A light head of iceberg might be the same size and weigh considerably less. They are often grown in a rush to be harvested quickly. Not having bought it recently, I can’t tell you if all heads are lighter now for the quick-to-market time. If so, it’s a shame because the heavier heads are usually the greener, better tasting, better-crunching kind to get. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906/20 "2022-02-23T00:09:49Z")
I solved any issues I may have had with iceberg lettuce when I graduated to romaine. It was partly because I like Caesar salads, but the big flat green leaves of romaine are also excellent in sandwiches. Sometimes I’ll buy a head of romaine lettuce, but bagged romaine hearts (the center leaves) are also very convenient. Some brands are even pre-washed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iceberg-lettuce-what-the-heck/959906.md?page=2)