Bitter lettuce?

[Raspberry4]

Hello! I purchased some lettuce today that 'looked interesting' and pretty - different shapes, colors, etc. but it was very bitter tasting - not arugula, and not frisee. (I don't care for those either). I am used to eating romaine and red leaf lettuce but these were very bitter and the dressing did not mask the flavor either. Can there be such a thing as 'bitter tasting' lettuce? Thanks for any help you can offer :)

[rawrawks]

Lettuce overgrown can be bitter.

I personally seek out bitter as it is an amazing property for the body. Dandelion, arugula and other bitter greens cleanse and purfy the blood!!!

I do put these n a smoothie with banana though...hahaha

[Raspberry4]

I will try it that way to see if it masks the flavor. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

All lettuce has a bitter taste, some more than others. It's the cultivation (started by the romans) that eventually led to the milder tasting varieties we have today, but the bitterness is still there in all of them if you look for it.

I used to hate eating bitter greens like dandelions, but nowdays I really appreciate them. I think that the body simply notice that it's getting good nutrition from those sources and you start to crave them and their taste.

The environment that the lettuce is grown in certainly affects their flavor though. I've found that the lettuce I grow myself in soil that is richer in minerals has a much sweeter taste to it compared to the ones you buy in the supermarket.
Also, the dandelions I find in old meadows taste a thousand times better than the ones growing on my lawn.

[Tsurugi_Oni]

If you get your lettuce from a well-established supermarket the chances are it's the variety.

Other times the lettuce could of "bolted", which means that the lettuce starts producing tons of seeds n flowers. This makes the lettuce very bitter and woody, and not very juicy at all.

[Raspberry4]

I bought it from a 'coop' of sorts. It was delivered to me. I did put some in my smoothie with a banana and almond butter and chocolate powder and it was delicious! Thanks everyone for your help!