Buttter and butterhead lettuce are two names for the same thing.
Health-conscious eating habits have influenced the availability of an increasing number of salad greens in supermarkets and restaurants. You may be able to choose from four varieties of lettuce: butterhead, crisphead, leaf and romaine. Butter lettuce is simply another name for
Types
Butter lettuce is a type of head lettuce with a small, loosely formed head. Boston and Bibb lettuce are the most common varieties in the butterhead family and often referred to simply as "butter" or "butterhead" lettuce. Butter lettuce leaves tend to have a soft, buttery texture, which is where the name comes from. The leaves are quite tender and easily damaged. Butter lettuce requires careful handling procedures and careful washing to keep the leaves from getting bruised or torn.
Appearance and Flavor
Butterhead lettuce has pale green leaves on the outer part of the head and pale yellow-green leaves in the inner part.
Uses
You can line a plate with butterhead lettuce leaves to create an attractive bed on which to serve other dishes. Butterhead lettuce, excellent in a variety of salads, either alone or mixed with other greens, pairs well with savory or sweet salad dressings. You can also tuck butter lettuce leaves into sandwiches. Prized by gourmets, Bibb lettuce tends to be more expensive than Boston lettuce, but the two kinds of
Nutrition
A 1 cup serving of shredded or chopped butterhead lettuce contains 7 calories and 1 gram each of carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugar and protein. Based on a 2,000-calorie diet, butter lettuce has 36 percent of the daily value of vitamin A, 3 percent of the needed vitamin C, 4 percent of needed iron and 2 percent of the calcium needed. Butter lettuce is also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, potassium, manganese, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium and phosphorus.
Tags: Bibb lettuce, Boston lettuce, Butter lettuce, butterhead lettuce,