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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Celtuce

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Celtuce or Chinese stem lettuce

Celtuce: a vegetable that resembles a green magic wand.

With it’s beautiful emerald green color, crisp and refreshing texture, with delicious, mild, and faintly nutty taste and smell, Celtuce is the best vegetable you’re not eating.

What the heck is it? Well, besides from resembling a strange green wand, often with runty little lettuce leaves on top, celtuce is what I’d describe as a stem vegetable, a type of food that we’re not used to eating in the U.S..

I learned about celtuce from Chef Michel Bras (his cook book is old school, and probably the most valuable as a reference for professional chefs) but it’s most commonly known in asian cuisine. 

Basically, celtuce is indeed a type of lettuce, but, instead of the lettuce being grown for it’s leaves, the stem is harvested and cooked instead. The leaves are edible too, but as celtuce often has quite a journey to get to specialty grocery stores and ethnic markets, the leaves will usually be wilted and unattractive by the time the get to market.

If you’re wondering why you’ve never seen it, it’s probably because this stuff can be hard to find, especially if you shop at American grocery stores.

Find celtuce at an Asian grocery store 

Americans, as a general rule, don’t have an appreciation for vegetables compared to many other cultures around the world.

To get exposed to some new, exciting ingredients, take a trip to a local Asian market. You’ll find the vegetables lack a homogenous quality, and, are generally super cheap. A cheap price for veggies does not insinuate a lack of quality, but thats another story.

All their veggies are subject to the same inspection as other U.S. grocery stores. I shop at Asian markets for most of my vegetables (not meat though) and have never had a problem, just be choosy like you would anywhere else.

Bitter Celtuce

One year, I bought celtuce from an adventurous farmer in Wisconsin. The celtuce looked exactly like the stuff I purchased from the asian market, but, eaten raw, it was intensely bitter.

After cooking though, it had a superior flavor to the asian market celtuce, a bit like toasted sunflower seeds or creamy nuts. I haven’t tasted a variety with a similar flavor since. 

How to peel and cook

Preparing this stuff is easy, but know that the outer skin is tough, and you’ll struggle to peel it without a quality peeler. After you peel it, you’ll need to peel it again to get underneath the fibers that lie under the skin to reveal the beautiful, jewel-colored heart.

You can also just cut it into sections with a sharp paring knife, and make it square, which makes the cutting and shaving on a mandoline I’m going to describe for you is really easy.

Celtuce or Chinese stem lettuce
Wash, then remove the top and bottom.
Celtuce or Chinese stem lettuce
Cut in half or 1/3rds so it’s easy to manage.
Celtuce or Chinese stem lettuce
Carve off the tough skin with a knife or peeler.
How to cook celtuce, or Chinese stem lettuce
Continue peeling until you reach the tender heart.

Three easy techniques: shaved, julienned, and peeled

Shaved 

Shaving is the most even, and also the first step of a nice julienne, or matchstick cut. To make it easier, you can cut the celtuce stalk into a rectangle for perfect square sides, if you like.

How to cook celtuce, or Chinese stem lettuce

Use a mandoline for even slices.

Julienned

After you shave the celtuce on a mandoline, you can cut them into lengths of a few inches, stack the slices together, and cut into matchsticks as fine as you like. The finer the julienne, the more delicate the texture will be. This is a great beginning for a cole-slaw, but don’t even think about adding mayonnaise to it!

How to cook celtuce, or Chinese stem lettuce
Lay thin slices on top of each other
How to cook celtuce, or Chinese stem lettuce
Use a sharp knife to cut a fine julienne

Peeled 

This is the easiest way to make a shaved celtuce salad, which could also double as chilled vegetable noodles. Cut the celtuce into manageable lengths, then sqaure them off, and use a vegetable peeler to make paper-thin ribbons.

How to cook celtuce, or Chinese stem lettuce
Square off into rectangles for easy peeling.
How to cook celtuce, or Chinese stem lettuce
Peeling paper-thin ribbons.

Recipes

The best thing you can do to taste celtuce’s sutble, slightly nutty taste is to do as little as possible to it, season it lightly, and don’t get too creative.

Also, some sources online might suggest soaking cut celtuce in water to make it crisp, but this will ruin and dilute the flavor, leaving you with a crisp, but watery, bland finished product. For inspiration, look to China, and other vegetables with a similar texture. For example, you could use celtuce anywhere you’d use the following vegetables:

  • Kohlrabi
  • Cucumbers
  • Celery
  • Radishes

For flavor pairings, think cool, refreshing, and cold preparations. Celtuce would love to be shaved into a vegetable slaw, or quickly tossed with a light, oil-based dressing, and a dash of something sweet. The first time I worked with it, I thought it smelled a bit like sunflower seeds, so I used that as my inspiration.

Celtuce Slaw with Sunflower Dressing

A simple dressing of pounded, toasted sunflower seeds, their aromatic oil, a hint of spearmint, and a touch of sweetness.

Traditionally you might see celtuce paired with sesame, and that’s great too, but as sesame is stronger tasting than sunflower seeds, you won’t taste the natural flavor as much, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

My favorite prep for these so far is a fine julienne, seasoned with a paste of sunflower seeds, a touch of maple sugar, and virgin sunflower oil, similar to Japanese gomae made with spinach.

celtuce recipe, stem lettuce recipe, celtuce
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Celtuce, With Brown Butter And Lemon

Inspired by Chef Michel Bras, this is the simplest way to cook celtuce I know of. Serves 2 as an appetizer, or as part of a larger meal

Ingredients

  • 1 qt vegetable stock
  • 2 whole stalks of celtuce with leaves attached
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 3 tbsp high quality unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • With a vegetable peeled, peel the celtuce. You will notice that after one round with the vegetable peeler there is still a layer of light colored stem, peel the celtuce again to remove this, it's very stringy and hard.
  • Continue peeling the celtuce until only the light green, translucent core remains, then cut the core into 2 inch pieces.
  • Heat the vegetable broth in a 3 qt or similar sauce pot and season to taste with salt. add the celtuce and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender when pierced. Do no over cook the celtuce, or it will fall apart.
  • Remove the celtuce from the broth and dry. Up to here this can all be done hours, or days beforehand.
  • Heat the butter in a saute pan. When it begins to brown add the celtuce and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on each side. Remove the celtuce from the pan and keep warm while you quickly cook the leaves.
  • Add the reserved leaves to the pan and toss, just long enough to wilt, 30 seconds or so.
  • Place the leaves on the plate, top with the celtuce stems, then add the lemon to remaining butter in the pan, swirl to warm through. Drizzle on some of the lemon butter and serve immediately, finishing with a touch of salt.

More 

Celtuce Salad with Sunflower Dressing 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sam Schaperow

    November 14, 2014 at 8:25 pm

    Interesting. Alan, let me suggest something, then: If you find a wild lettuce w/a thick stalk that’s got a bitter but edible core (so maybe not too old but still growing), try treating it as you did celtuce. I wonder if it would come out very similar.

    Sam Schaperow, M.S.
    PsychologyCT.com
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/plantforagers
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mushroomtalk

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      November 16, 2014 at 10:21 pm

      Hi Sam, good to have you back. I don’t personally know of any wild lettuce that would have a stem similar to celtuce, but I definitely dig your idea. It is so interesting how this plant changes from incredibly bitter to sweet and nutty with nothing more than a bit of cooking.

      Reply
  2. Dave Dave

    April 20, 2015 at 9:06 am

    Living in China, this stuff can be found just about anywhere. A few more preparation suggestions:

    As you noted, the flavor of Celtuce is unique and really tasty. Simply cutting it into quarter-inch-or-less-thick slices and stir-frying in your favorite high-temperature cooking oil with some salt is good enough. If it seems at risk of burning, add some water and put a lid on the wok.

    If that’s too bland, doing the above and adding some garam masala to the mix, plus a dash of brown Chinese vinegar can add some flavor.

    Finally, you can cut it into long, thin strips, mince some green onions and garlic, and toss them all together. Then, flash-fry some sichuan peppercorn in hot peanut oil. Then, once the sichuan peppercorn’s fragrance reaches your nose, take it off the heat and dump the peppercorn and peanut oil over the celtuce/onion/garlic mix.

    I rarely prefer celtuce any more heavily than that, given it’s already very healthy and it’s not a vegetable that gets much better if you add more to it.

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 1, 2015 at 9:25 pm

      Hi Dave, these are some great suggestions! Thanks for chiming in.

      Reply
  3. Minyassa

    October 4, 2017 at 1:47 am

    I’ve been browsing celtuce articles for about an hour here and right before I found yours I found one that mentioned that all the sweetness is at the outside of the stalk or even in the skin. So it may be that peeling it makes it more bitter, because the bitterness is concentrated at the center. I’ll be testing that when I can get my hands on some! Your recipe looks pretty darn good. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Jay

    June 16, 2018 at 11:03 pm

    Hey, you can definitely eat celtuce raw. the skin and white sap are bitter, but if you peel it far enough back, its sweet and mild

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      June 27, 2018 at 9:37 am

      The celtuce I buy at the Asian market is definitely sweet raw. But the species farmers were growing around here was absolutely, horribly bitter even after peeling. After cooking the flavor of the locally grown stuff was noticeably different: it was intensely nutty after cooking, with a sunflower or aster-esque flavor, not mild and near innert like the Asian market variety.

      Reply
  5. Kathy

    June 23, 2020 at 9:10 pm

    I just grew some, it was as easy to grow as lettuce, so far I ‘ve just been peeling and and eating it, will definitely grow again!

    Reply
  6. Gerard

    February 2, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    I don’t peel the lettuce stems. I cut in 1/4 inch slices, sauté with chili flakes, minced garlic and salt in canola oil. The slices don’t brown much but pick up the flavors and aromas. I then put in a bowl and bake for 45 minutes at 250 degrees,
    As an aside, the stem slices would be very effective in sinigang (the tamarind version).

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Prepare Celtuce - Gardening Jones' Recipe Box says:
    August 2, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    […] Here are some other ways to serve celtuce: Ginger Apple Celtuce Stir Fry Celtuce w/ Brown Butter & Lemon […]

    Reply
  2. TIP OF THE DAY: Celtuce, Stem Lettuce | THE NIBBLE Blog - Adventures In The World Of Fine Food says:
    February 25, 2018 at 8:10 am

    […] Celtuce In Brown Butter With Lemon […]

    Reply
  3. unusual vegetables – Pearl Crescent Farm says:
    June 12, 2020 at 5:06 pm

    […] Milder ones are excellent raw; if they have developed a stronger flavour, then use them cooked. Forager Chef has lots more excellent information about celtuce and ways to use […]

    Reply
  4. celtuce: the stems, the leaves, the low-down (learning together!) – Swier Family Farm says:
    June 26, 2020 at 4:48 pm

    […] to peel off the stem’s outer “skin” […]

    Reply

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Alan Bergo
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with @jesseroes TBT brisket face 💦. Staff meal with 
@jesseroesler and crew @campwandawega
📸 @misterberndt 

#staffmeal #brisket #meatsweats #naptime
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