Prickly lettuce

Lactuca serriola

leaf

Young leaves with spines on the midrib, bitter, raw or cooked like chicory: it is the wild ancestor of lettuce.

Origin

Europe, the Mediterranean and western Asia

Season (United States)

March to May

Preparation

Only young: older, its bitter latex is slightly sedative.

Molecules

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vegetable nitrates · Chlorophyll

Did you know?

Its leaves turn north-south to avoid the midday sun: it is called “compass lettuce”.