History of the cultivation of lettuce and lettuce. Types of leaf lettuces and their origin Lettuce Latin name

Latin name — Lactuca sativa L.

Family- Asteraceae.

Genus — Lactuca.

Predecessors– potatoes, peppers, cabbage, tomatoes.

Lighting- light-loving.

Watering- moisture-loving.

The soil– wet soils.

Landing- seeds and seedlings.

Lettuce has been on the table since the Romans. Then they simply tore it into large pieces, salted it, added olive oil and ate it. In the Middle Ages, greens were served as a side dish for meat.

Beneficial properties of lettuce: rich chemical composition

Lettuce leaves are a light and nutritious food. It is not very often added to your diet. But at the same time, the benefits of lettuce are very great. So it’s worth paying close attention to it. In terms of its healing properties, it can give odds to many foods. Greens contain a lot of carotene and carotenoids. The lettuce plant can protect against Alzheimer's disease, improve the condition of the skin and mucous membranes, and preserve vision. It helps in the process of formation of bones and tooth enamel.

It contains almost the same amount of vitamin C as the recognized leader - lemon.

The beneficial properties of lettuce are widely known. Its biochemical composition occupies its special place among vegetables. The plant contains iron, cobalt, boron, phosphorus, iodine. Copper, minerals, organic acids, sodium, zinc, potassium. It contains a lot of vitamin K. It helps regulate blood clotting. The plant is a source of folic acid. It is necessary for pregnant women. Acid has a positive effect on reproductive function in both sexes. It is also useful for the child's body.

The healing properties of lettuce calm the nervous system and improve sleep.

Types of lettuce

There are about a hundred types of lettuce. We can safely say that among such a variety, every consumer will be able to find one that he likes. They are divided into cabbage and leaf.

Iceberg. It got its name due to its method of transportation. It was covered with ice during delivery. A bit similar to . Its pieces crunch just the same. But their taste is much more tender and pleasant. Greens contain a lot of water.

lettuce also looks a bit like cabbage. To make it crispy, you need to keep it in cold water for some time.

Arugula. A plant with a bitter and spicy taste. Cultivated for over two thousand years. It was very popular back in Ancient Rome. Valued for its high content of vitamin C and carotenoids. Good as an addition to salads, meat dishes and cold appetizers. In Italy it is included in some sauces.

Radicchio red rich in iron and calcium.

Crispy Romaine rich in sodium.

Greenish-red Lollo Rosso and Curly Friese go well with meat dishes.

Romano, which is also called Roman salad, is widely known for being included in the classic Caesar recipe. It's spicy and crunchy.

Korn dark green and curly. Looks very nice in dishes. Well complements the taste of fish and meat.

Each type can be used both as decoration and as an independent product. You shouldn't prepare it in advance. It's best to do this right before serving. It goes well with the taste of lemon and garlic.

Lettuce varieties

The following varieties of lettuce are worthy of attention:

Ballet. Dark green sprouts, fan-shaped, crispy. Resistant to lack of lighting and color fade.

Tornado. Mid-season, crispy variety. Resistant to stemming. Very tasty, fruitful.

Moscow greenhouse. Early ripening. Suitable for growing both in the ground and in a greenhouse.

Dubachik. Mid-season, resistant to flowering. The leaves are oblong, slightly wavy, light green in color. Able to grow new leaves in place of previously cut ones.

Roblen. Mid-season. The rosette is tall, oblong dark red leaves. After harvesting, the leaves grow back.

Dubrava. Mid-season. Light green. Very tasty, attractive in appearance. Gentle.

Fun. Mid-season. Reddish leaves, tender and tasty. 26 cm long. Resistant to various diseases.

Great Lakes. Late ripening head lettuce. Crispy, dark green in color. Color-resistant.

Story

In Europe, it began to be cultivated in the 16th century, and in Russia, leaf lettuce began to be grown approximately in the 17th century.

Description

Pitcher-shaped miniature inflorescences-baskets are collected in cylindrical heads and arranged on stems in the form of numerous panicles. Small bisexual reed flowers are painted in yellowish shades, and the fruits are achenes with flakes.

Spreading

As a cultivated plant, lettuce is currently cultivated in all countries of the world. And it was first introduced into culture long before the beginning of our era in the Mediterranean.

Benefit

Lettuce is also rich in folic acid, which is vital for pregnant women.

Application

Growing

Since leaf lettuce is an early ripening and very cold-resistant annual, its seeds can be planted before winter. As a rule, this is done towards the end of October or early November. Gardeners sow early-ripening varieties in April or May, and late-ripening or mid-ripening varieties - from April until mid-June. For ease of planting, tiny lettuce seeds are often mixed with sand, and they need to be embedded in the soil to a depth of about one centimeter.

Leaf lettuce is an annual plant, in the form of small heads of cabbage with foliage of different shapes and all shades of green. The surface of the leaves can be wavy, smooth, corrugated, curly. The color and appearance of the foliage are completely dependent on the weather. On hot days they turn pale; on cool days, on the contrary, they become richer, juicier and more elastic. The stem is highly branched and forms a large number of inflorescences. The roots are weak, rod-shaped, located at the very surface of the soil.

Growing leaf lettuce in unprotected beds is quite easy. The plant contains all the vitamin groups necessary for the body and a huge amount of mineral components:

• potassium;
• calcium;
• manganese;
• iron;
• copper;
• molybdenum;
• organic acids.

The vegetable helps to properly digest food, accelerates and stabilizes material metabolism. Salad leaves cannot be subjected to heat treatment; they are consumed only fresh.

One hundred grams of the plant contains no more than 12 kcal.

According to the ripening period, the plant is divided into several types:

• spring - the earliest ripening, can be grown in the garden or in greenhouse conditions (Asterix, Kritset, Lakomka and others);
• summer - tolerates hot weather well (Azarius, America, Dionysus, Dubrava and others);
• autumn - grows in cool climates, does not suffer from lack of light, and practically does not get sick (Ballet).

Each variety is resistant to the appearance of flowering stems , they can be grown both in greenhouse conditions and on unprotected soil.

Purple salad Red salad Green salad

In addition, the vegetable can be of different colors:

• green;
• red;
• violet.

Lettuce has a lot of beneficial properties. It protects brain cells from chemical elements that can cause cancer. At the same time, it stimulates neurons, improves memory, speeds up information processing, and prevents Alzheimer's disease.

Low calorie content helps lower cholesterol levels. This helps relieve heart disease and protects against heart attacks and strokes.

Lettuce juice is good for the liver

The potassium present in the vegetable increases blood circulation, fills tissues with oxygen, and prevents early aging of the body. Lettuce is often recommended by doctors for people prone to obesity. With its help you can eliminate constipation and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

The low glycemic index allows even diabetics to consume the salad. The plant controls sugar levels and prevents glucose surges. The nutritional components of the plant have an excellent effect on hair and facial skin, normalizing fat production.

The presence of a large amount of fiber in the leaves helps to lose excess weight. This product can increase the volume of any dish, maintaining a feeling of fullness for a long time.

The juice prepared from this plant helps cleanse the blood and saturate it with useful components. Preparing the drink is simple - you need carrots, lettuce and beets in equal proportions.

For women

Salad reduces pain during menstrual cycles, replenishes the body with nutrients and vitamins, and stabilizes hemoglobin.

Systematic use guarantees protection against ovarian and mammary gland cancer.

Salad is good for pregnant women

It is also able to reduce the number of hot flashes during menopause, easing the general condition.

The plant can be introduced into the diet of pregnant women to help the proper formation of the nervous system and musculoskeletal system of the fetus. Salad greens can improve the quality of breast milk and eliminate its bitterness.

This culture is also used in cosmetology for making masks. You just need to grind it and apply it to the surface of the skin. Rashes and purulent pimples disappear. Juice squeezed from lettuce helps restore damaged hair and enhances its growth;

For men

Increases libido and sperm quality. Doctors recommend consuming the plant for families experiencing difficulty conceiving. The zinc content in the plant prevents the development of impotence.

Cosmetology

The plant extract is used in the preparation of certain medicinal products. As a rule, they are designed to strengthen nails and improve skin health. Quite often the foliage is used for external use.

The plant contains a large amount of oxalic acid, which is especially harmful to people suffering from kidney and bladder diseases.

Salad is prohibited for consumption in case of urolithiasis, hepatitis, gout, colitis and other gastrointestinal ailments.

Lettuce leaves can be harmful to the body

Consumption of leaf lettuce is allowed for those suffering from asthma and tuberculosis after visiting a doctor. You should not use the product if you have allergic reactions to one or another element. Standards for eating lettuce:

• For a healthy adult, one hundred grams of product per day is enough, which is approximately two glasses of crushed leaves;
• for children under twelve years of age this norm is halved.

Although lettuce is considered a spring-autumn plant, it is difficult to grow it in the hot summer. But with the arrival of spring, it is he who can save from vitamin deficiency and depression. It is recommended to grow this plant in sunny places; the soil should be fertile, well loosened and moderately acidic. During the growing process, the crop requires feeding with fertilizer compounds containing a lot of nitrogen and potassium.

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Among those people who strive to take care of their own health in every possible way, the most popular food is lettuce, of which there are many varieties. The types of lettuce and their origin are quite interesting for those who are interested in cooking and a healthy lifestyle. Among salads, leaf and head lettuce have a special position, between which there is a certain difference. Lettuce leaves

In turn, leaf salad does not wrap itself, but forms a kind of light green rosette. In nature, the types of leaf lettuce and their origin are quite numerous, and most of them can be grown in the northern regions, since this crop is not only early ripening, but also frost-resistant.

Leaf lettuce also has certain requirements.

However, despite its unpretentiousness, lettuce also has certain requirements: for rapid growth, it needs sunlight, so as daylight hours increase, it begins to develop rapidly.

Origin of lettuce

The origin of lettuce is a rather controversial issue and many experts tend to adhere to completely different points of view, sometimes quite contradictory. Types of lettuce and their origin - this topic has been studied quite closely by many researchers. Today, with a certain degree of confidence, we can say that lettuce was brought to our country during the reign of Peter the Great, and for some time now this plant began to appear on the tables of the boyars and nobility. Some consider Southern Europe to be the birthplace of lettuce; others are inclined to believe that this plant first appeared in Central Asia and India.

Due to the fact that lettuce is one of the earliest vegetables that can be eaten, a person’s diet becomes much richer in vitamins at the time when it is absolutely necessary - in the spring. At this time, there is an acute shortage of fresh vegetables, so the first greens on the table will come in handy. By the way, lettuce is also eaten by people as a natural medicine, so the types of lettuce and their origin are a topic that relates to an issue studied not only by culinary specialists, but also by traditional healers and doctors. Leaf lettuce contains many vitamins and microelements; it has been eaten since ancient times, it was appreciated in Ancient Rome, and was used to treat the ancient Greeks. Just 50 grams of lettuce per day will allow an adult to replenish the supply of substances he needs, but the lettuce leaves must be fresh and in no case limp.

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