An Ode to Iceberg Lettuce

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Jan 31st 2006 @ 4:53PM

iceberg lettuce
"Proper" food freaks would only eat micro greens, mesclun, and spring mixes in a salad. Perhaps they would tolerate Romaine in a Caesar salad, but for shame, if ever a shred of iceberg lettuce would make it onto the plate!

Iceberg lettuce gets a bad rap now, and understandably, since it's mostly water and very low in nutritional elements as compared to other lettuces and greens. However, in my research of all things retro, I've found that, apart from Jell-o "salads," a wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with Thousand Island dressing was the hallmark salad of the 1950s. The dressing itself dates back much earlier, but in the '50s, we were making it at home with 1 part mayonnaise, 1 part ketchup, and a few spoonfuls of pickle relish.

I absolutely love iceberg lettuce, and there is no green that can match its cool, refreshing non-nutritional crisp. So, I have written an ode to iceberg lettuce:

Oh, iceberg, I love you,
Though no nutritional value.

You’re just cellulose filler,
but the crisp is so killer!

Since all water you are,
Fatty dressings can star.

Take it retro to the fifties
When Thousand Island was nifty,

But my favorite, as you know,
To old school steakhouses we go,

Is a wedge with Bleu!
Oh, iceberg, I love you!