Difference between Lettuce and Cabbage
Cabbages were consumed by the ancient Greeks and Romans and lettuce was a favorite of the ancient Egyptians. Needless to say both lettuces and the cabbages are vegetables that have been around for quite some time now and more popular than ever in their great varieties all over the world.
Vegetables in general are highly recommended by most physicians, dietitians and nutritionists. This is due to the vitamins that they contain as well as the roughage content. Everyone knows just how important veggie vitamins are for their ability to help boost our immune systems. Lettuce and cabbage have a great medicinal value when eaten as the “green and leafy” part of one’s diet.
Definition
The lettuce is a leafy plant that is mainly grown in the temperate regions either annually or biannually. It has a short stem and leaves which grow and are harvested in a season. At some point, the lettuce produces flowers in a process know as bolting. Whenever the lettuce is mean for harvest and consumption, it is harvested before the bolting occurs.
A cabbage is a leafy vegetable that is characterized by a short stem and a head that has the leaves accumulated into a large bulb like form. It is mostly green but there are breeds that may be reddish or purplish in color. The inner leaves that are immature are the ones that are usually consumed and not necessarily the outer leaves.
History
Lettuce has been around for ages. The first depiction of the plant in history is the carving at the Egyptian temple of Senusret I. It was being offered to a god named Min to whom the lettuce was extremely sacred. It was later introduced to the Ancient Greeks. They mainly used it as an herb that induced sleep. Later on, Christopher Columbus is accredited with the introduction of the lettuce plant to the new world.
Cabbage was derived from a wild mustard plant. This sort of mustard was common in the Mediterranean region. The Greeks and Romans liked the cabbage for its medicinal values. In fact, it was declared the most superior vegetable to all others on the earth. Over the years, artificial selection and to some extent genetic modification has been explored to produce what we eat today.
Use
Lettuce is usually eaten while cold and raw as a base component of salads and sandwiches. In some places such as China, it is cooked before consumption.
The part of the cabbage that is eaten is the immature leaves. They can be cooked or eaten raw. They have a natural spicy flavor.
Similarities and Differences
- Both the lettuce and cabbage are vegetables that have been eaten for ages.
- They are rich in vitamins that are vital in boosting the immune system which is why they are said to be of medicinal value.
- The lettuce is usually eaten raw while the cabbage is generally cooked prior to consumption.
