Red Leaf

Red leaf lettuce belongs to the daisy family of Asteraceae. It is a form of loose leaf lettuce that has a close resemblance to green leaf lettuce. Its scientific name is lactuca sativa. The good part about this lettuce is that it is high on nutritional value and adds very less calorie in your body.

History

The modern day lettuce was earlier considered to be a Mediterranean weed and was well thought out to be the food of the kings until 55 B.C. This plant was also praised for its medicinal values. It traces its origins in Ancient Egypt and Rome.

Purpose/Use 

There are two types of red lettuce. These are galactic and red sails lettuce. These red leaves are used for garnishing the recipes in sandwich and salads. The red lettuce has tender and delicate leaves, which has a mild taste.

Benefits & Features

Apart from adding colors in your food, it adds to the nutritional aspect of the food as well. The red lettuce is rich in calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, thiamin, dietary fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, riboflavin, folate, iron, potassium and manganese. This adds lots of nutritional value to the not so healthy food like burgers.