Lattuga

The Italians are very fond of lettuce. A salad almost invariably contains one or two of the very different varieties grown in all seasons all over Italy. Romana, or Cos, is the most universally popular for its crispness and flavour. There is also lattuga d’inverno or winter lettuce, which is more resistant to cold weather and insalata primaverile (springtime lettuce), with its pale but very tender leaves. Lattuga da taglio are those lettuce plants producing small bunches of very tender leaves which may be cut at the base every time lettuce is needed and the lettuce will then grow back again.