Celtuce

Browse All Celtuce Recipes

Name Variations

 * asparagus lettuce
 * stem lettuce

About Celtuce
Wikipedia Article About Celtuce on Wikipedia

Celtuce (Lactuca sativa var. asparagina, augustana, or angustata), also called stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or Chinese lettuce, is a cultivar of lettuce grown primarily for its thick stem, used as a vegetable. It is especially popular in China, where it is the most common form of lettuce, and is called wosun (Chinese: Hanyu Pinyin: wōsŭn) or woju (Chinese: Hanyu Pinyin: wōjù) (although the latter name may also be used to mean lettuce in general).

The stem is usually harvested at a length of around 15-20 cm and a diameter of around 3-4 cm. It is crisp, moist, and mildly flavored, and typically prepared by slicing and then stir frying with more strongly flavored ingredients.

One of the five distinct types of garden lettuce used for salad greens and other dishes. The leaf is similar to romaine lettuce, but unlike romaine, is not considered edible due to the milky sap that forms soon after it matures. Celtuce is grown for the thick stem, approximately 1" to 2" in diameter and 6" to 7" in length. The stem is separated from the leaf, cut into pieces, and used in salads, stews and steamed dishes. Celtuce is also known as asparagus lettuce, celery lettuce, Chinese lettuce or stem lettuce.