Vegetable
Butterhead
A tier
Butterhead lettuce forms soft, folded heads with buttery-tender leaves—Bibb and Boston styles—sweet when cool-grown, less crunchy than romaine or iceberg. Ideal for delicate salads and sandwiches that need soft leaf. Dress lightly; heavy vinaigrette bruises soft leaves. Peak in cool weather.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Bibb CupLight DressingSandwichSoft Salad
Traits
ButteryDelicate SaladSoftSoft HeadSweet Cool GrownTender
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
US No. 2
US No. 1
History
FR
French gardens developed soft butterhead (laitue beurre) types.
US
American seed lists separated butterhead from crisphead classes.
Greenhouse butterheads supplied winter soft lettuce.
Butterhead remained the tender salad head of choice for fine dining.