(1) Frisée
Alternate names: Curly endive, chicory, chicory endive, curly chicory
Characteristics: These curled leaves tinged with yellow
and green are slightly bitter in taste, have a crunchy stem, and add a
lot of texture. Their pale green, white, and yellow coloring is a result
of the producer shielding them from light during the growing process.
Frisée is closely related to escarole. Recipes using frisée
(2) Arugula
Alternate names: Rocket, Italian cress, Mediterranean rocket, rugola, rugula, roquette, rucola
Characteristics: Possibly the most well-known variety of salad green, arugula forms the basis of many a salad.
Originating from the Mediterranean, this green tastes more peppery than
bitter and is especially associated with Italian dishes like pesto.
The edges of baby arugula aren't as defined. Recipes using arugula
(3) Endive
Alternate names: Belgian endive, French endive, witloof, witloof chicory, Belgium chicory
Characteristics: The unique oval shape, soft satiny
texture, and slight bitterness all mean endive's a great addition to any
salad. It's scooplike shape makes for edible servers, perfect for
small appetizers like these "spoons." Recipes using endive
(4) Radicchio
Alternate names: Chioggia, red chicory, red leaf chicory, red Italian chicory
Characteristics: Pronounced "rah-dick-ee-yo,"
you can find this deep-red-purple vegetable sold either as a compact
round head, as pictured above, or shaped like its relative, endive. The
bright coloring makes it stand out. When cooked, the red-purple hue
turns brown and what was once bitter becomes sweet. Recipes using radicchio
(5) Mizuna
Alternate names: Japanese greens, spider mustard, xue cai, kyona, potherb mustard, and California Peppergrass
Characteristics: This Japanese mustard green is
typically sold as part of a premade salad mix but can be purchased loose
at the farmers' market or specialty shop. Mizuna has a relatively
strong pungent flavor when compared to other salad greens, but its
flavor won't overpower a dish. The small jagged edges that make mizuna
look like miniature oak leaves add a lot of texture. Recipes using mizuna
(6) Escarole
Alternate names: Batavian endive, scarole, broad-leaved endive
Characteristics: Related to frisée, this mildly bitter leafy green is large and crisp. Escarole is often used in soups and paired with beans, reflecting its popularity in Italian cuisine. Recipes using escarole
(7) Baby beet greens
Characteristics: When the leaves of the beet top are
immature, they are tender and slightly spicy. The purplish-red veins
are visually striking and can dress up any salad. When wilted, the veins
become brighter in color and a little bit sweeter. Recipes using beet greens
(8) Cress
Characteristics: Pictured is watercress, the most
popular type of cress sold in the United States. Other varieties include
upland cress, curly cress, and land cress. A peppery taste is
characteristic of all varieties. Sold in bunches, watercress has a
tough, fibrous stem and small green leaves. Be sure to wash cresses
thoroughly, since they often grow in sandy ground. Click here for recipes using watercress
(9) Tatsoi
Alternate names: Tat soi, spoon cabbage, rosette bok choy
Characteristics: The small, rounded leaves of this
Asian salad green have a mild, mustardlike flavor. The texture is
similar to that of baby spinach, and one can be swapped for the other.
Baby tatsoi is usually sold loose, but when mature, tatsoi can be
purchased whole, in the shape of a rosette, and it is often cooked
intact in Chinese stir-fries. Like mizuna, tatsoi is often available
only at the farmers' market or specialty gourmet shops. Recipes using tatsoi
(10) Butterhead lettuce
Alternate name: Butter lettuce
Pictured, top to bottom: Boston, bibb (limestone)
Characteristics: A type of head lettuce, the leaves of
Boston and bibb lettuces are soft. And as this variety's name implies,
the texture of a butter lettuce is indeed smooth like butter. Bibb is
the more expensive of the two and is usually sold in a plastic container
to protect the delicate leaves. Recipes using bibb and Boston lettuce
(11) Romaine
Alternate name: Cos lettuce
Characteristics: This large leafy lettuce is stiffer
than most; a thick center rib gives it a real crunch. The rib also
gives this lettuce a slight bitter taste. This is the lettuce originally
used when the Caesar salad was created.
Recipes using romaine
(12) Mâche
Alternate names: Field salad, lamb's lettuce, corn salad, field lettuce, fetticus
Characteristics: Sometimes sold with its soil still
attached, this salad green imparts a mild and slightly sweet flavor to a
salad. Because of the small size of the leaves, trying to create a
salad with a base of mâhe can be expensive. Its leaves are also very
delicate and will bruise easily, so handle with care. Recipes using mâche
(13) Oakleaf
Alternate name: Oak leaf
Pictured, left to right: Red oak leaf, green oak leaf
Characteristics: The shape of this looseleaf lettuce's
leaves are similar to that of the oak tree, thus, its name. From a
distance, one could mistake it for red leaf and green leaf lettuce, but a
closer look will reveal differences in shape and texture: Oakleafs are a
little shorter and more squat, and the tops of their leaves have a
softer texture than their red leaf and green leaf counterparts. This
delicate, tender lettuce acts a great bed for food and won't compete
with other flavors. Recipes using oakleaf lettuce
(14) Looseleaf lettuce
Alternate names: Leaf lettuce
Pictured, left to right: Green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce
Characteristics: They have a mild flavor and are very
pliable, despite the crunchy stem. Their uneven ruffled surfaces add
layers of texture to salads. Because the leaves are so large, it's best
to tear them up into bite-size pieces. Recipes using leaf lettuce
Images & Content via Epicurious
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