Vegetable
Romaine
A tier
Romaine (cos) lettuce grows upright elongated heads with crisp ribs and sturdy green blades—the Caesar salad backbone. Texture holds dressing and grill marks better than butterhead. Use hearts for pure crunch; outer leaves for wraps and braises. Cool weather keeps bitterness down.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
CaesarGrillHeart SaladWrap
Traits
Caesar StandardClassicCrispCrisp RibGrill FriendlySturdyUpright Head
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
US No. 2
US No. 1
History
GR
Cos-type lettuces of the eastern Mediterranean prefigured modern romaine.
US
American markets popularised romaine for sturdy salads.
US
Caesar salad cemented romaine as a restaurant essential.
Food-safety attention on romaine increased while demand stayed high.